Heathrow Terminal 5: the British Airways terminal

Heathrow Terminal 5 opened on 27 March 2008 and is the newest of the four operating terminals. It handles around 35 million passengers a year, the largest share of Heathrow's 84.5 million total, with British Airways running virtually all of its 180-plus Heathrow routes from here and Iberia using the same terminal for Madrid and onward connections. The main building is linked to two airside satellite buildings, T5B and T5C, by a free underground transit train that runs every three to four minutes.

Compared with the older central terminals (T2 and T3), Terminal 5 is laid out more like a single open space than a maze. Check-in is on the top level, security is a short walk, and the departure lounge is wide and clearly signposted. Most passengers reach the gate in 25 to 40 minutes from the front door, with an extra 15 minutes if the gate is in T5B or T5C. The Terminal 5 map shows the layout, including the two satellites and the transit train.

Two airlines fly from Terminal 5. British Airways operates virtually every BA flight in and out of Heathrow from here, both long-haul and short-haul. Iberia operates Madrid plus onward connections from the same terminal.

Short-haul BA flights often depart from T5B or T5C. The gate is shown on the boarding pass and on the departure boards inside the main building.

Terminal 5 has its own station served directly by Heathrow Express, the Elizabeth Line, and the Piccadilly Line. Elizabeth Line service to T5 has run since May 2022 at around two trains an hour; the T5 trains run east through central London to Shenfield via Stratford, so the line gets you onto the central network without changing. The station sits directly below the terminal, with lifts and escalators bringing you up into the check-in hall.

By car, Terminal 5 sits at the end of the M25 spur with its own access road off junction 14. The sat nav postcode is TW6 2GA. The road approach is well signed from the M25 and M4.

Terminal 5 has more parking spaces than any other terminal at Heathrow: over 13,000 across the short-stay multi-storey, the Priority Park & Ride (the renamed Business car park) next door, the Park & Ride on the Northern Perimeter Road for longer stays, and meet and greet at the forecourt. Pre-booked rates are significantly cheaper than drive-up gate prices for any stay over 24 hours.

Drive-up gate prices are higher: Terminal Parking £98.00 per 24 hours, Priority Park & Ride from £47.90/day, Park & Ride £46.80 first day then £37.40/day, meet and greet from £138.60. Full pricing and how to book on the Terminal 5 parking page.

The Terminal 5 drop-off zone sits on the departures level, directly outside the main entrance. Every entry is charged at £7 per visit, with a 10-minute maximum stay; the free period that used to apply ended on 1 January 2026. Number plates are read automatically and the charge is billed online before, during, or by 23:59 the day after the visit.

For pick-up, the forecourt is officially closed but ANPR cameras still trigger the same £7 charge on any entry. The legitimate options are the short-stay car park (from £8.00 for the first 29 minutes) or the T5 Park & Ride, which gives 29 minutes free with a free courtesy bus to the terminal every 15 minutes. See Heathrow drop-off charges for the full table including the other three terminals.

Terminal 5 security is split into two halves served by a single screening hall, and is usually the fastest terminal at Heathrow in the early morning. Wait times average eight to twelve minutes between 04:00 and 06:00, rising into the morning peak between 07:00 and 09:00, then dropping through the afternoon. See current Heathrow security wait times by terminal for the latest published guidance and any reported delays.

Fast Track at Terminal 5 is included with most BA Club Europe, Club World, and First fares, with BA Executive Club Silver and Gold status (plus one guest), and with several lounge packages. It can also be bought separately from £12.99 per person. The Fast Track lane is signposted from the entrance to security.

The main Terminal 5 building handles most long-haul flights. Short-haul BA flights to Europe often depart from one of the two airside satellite buildings, T5B or T5C, reached by a free underground transit train from the airside concourse of the main building. The transit runs every three to four minutes and the journey takes around three minutes.

The gate letter on the boarding pass tells you which building you need: A gates (A1 to A23) are in the main building, B gates (B32 to B48) are in T5B, and C gates (C52 to C66) are in T5C. Plan for an extra 15 minutes if your gate is in either satellite. Immigration and baggage reclaim for inbound flights from the satellites happen back in the main T5 building.

Terminal 5 has the largest retail and dining offer at Heathrow. The departure lounge is built around a single open space with shops on the lower level and restaurants spread across both levels. Lounges include the BA Galleries Club, BA Galleries First, and the BA Concorde Room (the latter for First Class passengers and Executive Club Gold members on long-haul), plus the third-party Plaza Premium Lounge. Full coverage on the Terminal 5 lounges and Terminal 5 restaurants pages.

Special assistance covers every step from car park to gate. Request it through your airline at least 48 hours before departure. Heathrow's mobility team meets you at one of the designated assistance points: bus stop 18 at the long-stay car park, the rail station forecourt, the short-stay car park lifts, or the drop-off zone. See reduced mobility for the full process and how to book.

Arriving at Terminal 5 follows the standard sequence: airbridge or bus to the immigration hall, eGates or staffed desks, baggage reclaim on belts 1 to 10, customs, then out into the meeters and greeters area. The whole sequence usually takes 25 to 45 minutes including the walk from the gate. UK, Republic of Ireland, EU/EEA, Swiss, plus Australian, Canadian, Japanese, New Zealand, Singaporean, South Korean, and US passport holders from age 10 use the eGates; other passengers use the staffed desks. See immigration and passports and baggage reclaim for the detail.

The Terminal 5 meeting point is at the back of the arrivals hall, behind the Costa Coffee, signed from baggage reclaim, landside in the public area.