Skip to content
Heathrow
Terminal lookup

Which terminal at Heathrow does your airline use?

This page answers one question: which terminal at Heathrow your flight leaves from, based on the airline operating it. The lookup table covers every scheduled carrier at Heathrow, sorted alphabetically, with notes for any case that is not obvious. Heathrow has four operating terminals (T2, T3, T4, T5), each grouped loosely by alliance. The airline determines the terminal, not the destination or the route.

Terminal 2
Star Alliance
Lufthansa, United, Singapore
Terminal 3
oneworld + VS
American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic
Terminal 4
SkyTeam + Qatar
Air France, Qatar, Etihad
Terminal 5
British Airways
BA and Iberia only
On this page (5 sections)

Find your terminal

The table below lists every scheduled airline at Heathrow with the terminal it uses, sorted alphabetically. The notes column flags any case where the terminal is not what you might expect from the airline's alliance (Malaysia Airlines in oneworld but at T4, and similar). Use Ctrl+F (or the find function on your phone browser) to jump straight to your airline name. The lookup is verified against the full airline list at Heathrow on heathrow.com.

Last verified: 24 May 2026. The live departure board on the day is the safest source if you need same-day confirmation; airline-to-terminal moves are rare but do happen.

Terminal key: Terminal 2 is Star Alliance, Terminal 3 oneworld and Virgin Atlantic, Terminal 4 SkyTeam, and Terminal 5 British Airways and Iberia.

Airline Terminal Note
Aer Lingus T2 Joined oneworld in March 2025, stays at T2.
Air Canada T2
Air China T2
Air France T4
Air India T2 Moved from T4 to T2 in 2025 to join the Star Alliance carriers.
Air Mauritius T3
All Nippon Airways (ANA) T2
American Airlines T3
Asiana T2
Avianca T2
British Airways T5 Short-haul flights often depart from the T5B and T5C satellite buildings.
Brussels Airlines T2
Bulgaria Air T4
Cathay Pacific T3
China Eastern T4
China Southern T4
Croatia Airlines T2
Delta Air Lines T3 Selected routes under the Virgin Atlantic and Delta joint venture.
Egyptair T2
El Al T2
Etihad Airways T4
Eurowings T2
EVA Air T2
Finnair T3
Iberia T5
Icelandair T2
Japan Airlines T3
Kenya Airways T3
KLM T4
Korean Air T4
LOT Polish Airlines T2
Lufthansa T2
Malaysia Airlines T4 oneworld carrier based at T4 rather than T3.
Middle East Airlines (MEA) T2
Qantas T3
Qatar Airways T4
Royal Air Maroc T4 oneworld carrier based at T4 rather than T3.
Royal Brunei T4
Royal Jordanian T3
SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) T2
Saudia T4
Singapore Airlines T2
South African Airways T2
SriLankan T3
Swiss T2
TAP Air Portugal T2
Turkish Airlines T2
United Airlines T2
Vietnam Airlines T4
Virgin Atlantic T3

The list covers regular scheduled carriers. Charter operators, seasonal-only services, and codeshare-only routes may not appear; for those, check the booking confirmation or the live Heathrow departure board on the day.

Airlines that operate from more than one terminal

No airline at Heathrow operates scheduled passenger flights from more than one terminal as a regular setup. The published mapping is one carrier, one terminal. Day-to-day operational splits do happen during major disruption (a runway closure, a system outage), but the steady state is the table above.

The cases that look like splits, and are not:

  • British Airways: all BA flights leave from Terminal 5. Short-haul flights to Europe often park at the T5B or T5C satellite buildings, reached by a free underground transit train from the main T5 departure lounge. The gate number on the boarding pass tells you which building. The check-in hall is shared in the main T5 building either way.
  • Delta Air Lines: operates selected Heathrow routes from Terminal 3 under the Virgin Atlantic and Delta joint venture. Some Delta-marketed transatlantic flights are operated by Virgin metal, also from T3. Delta-coded flights operated by SkyTeam partners may depart from Terminal 4; check the operating carrier on the booking.
  • oneworld members at T4 rather than T3: Malaysia Airlines, Royal Air Maroc, and Royal Brunei use T4 despite being oneworld members. The split sits within the oneworld camp rather than across terminals for the same airline.
  • Air India moved from T4 to T2 in 2025: it now checks in at T2 with the other Star Alliance carriers. Older guides may still show it at T4.

Codeshare flights and operating carriers

A codeshare flight has two airlines attached to the same physical flight: the marketing carrier (the airline that sold you the ticket and prints the flight number) and the operating carrier (the airline whose aircraft, crew, and operations actually run the service). The terminal is set by the operating carrier.

A worked example: you book a flight from London to Helsinki marketed by Finnair as flight AY1336. The booking shows "Operated by British Airways". The terminal is Terminal 5, where BA is based, not Terminal 3, where Finnair is based. Use the operating carrier name in the lookup table above. The booking confirmation, the airline app, and the boarding pass all show the operating carrier; the line usually reads "Operated by X" or "AY1336 operated by BA1336".

Common codeshare patterns at Heathrow include the British Airways and American Airlines transatlantic joint business (where each side codeshares the other), the Virgin Atlantic and Delta joint venture across T3 and T4, the SkyTeam codeshare cluster at T4, and the Star Alliance codeshare cluster at T2. When the marketing and operating carriers sit at different terminals, the boarding pass is the authoritative source.

What to do if you do not know your airline

If you have a flight number but are not sure which airline it belongs to, the prefix gives it away. Every commercial flight number starts with a two-letter IATA airline code. BA is British Airways, VS is Virgin Atlantic, AA is American Airlines, LH is Lufthansa, AF is Air France, KL is KLM, EK is Emirates (at Heathrow, Emirates operates from Terminal 3), QF is Qantas, AY is Finnair, CX is Cathay Pacific. The booking confirmation also shows the full airline name next to the flight number.

If you have a destination but no flight number or airline, the live departure board at heathrow.com filters by city. Pick your destination, find the time that matches your booking, and the board shows the airline and terminal for that flight. The same data feeds the airline app and the boarding gate screens once you are airside.

If you have a booking reference but cannot reach the airline app, the travel agent or booking platform (Expedia, Booking.com, your corporate travel desk) holds the same data. The reference is usually a six-character string of letters and numbers, printed on the confirmation email. Travel agents normally trace the booking from there within a few minutes during business hours.

After you know your terminal

Once the terminal is settled, the next stops are the terminal page for your flight (parking, transport, check-in, lounges, security, food, and the meeting points) and the live departures board for the gate.

  • Terminal 2 is the Queen's Terminal, opened in 2014, home of Star Alliance carriers (Lufthansa, United, Singapore Airlines, Swiss, and the rest) plus Aer Lingus, Icelandair, El Al, MEA, and Eurowings. Direct rail from Paddington in 15 min by Heathrow Express, around 30 min on the Elizabeth Line.
  • Terminal 3 sits next to T2 in the central area and is the oneworld hub at Heathrow plus Virgin Atlantic. Lead carriers are Virgin Atlantic and American Airlines. Same central station as T2.
  • Terminal 4 is the SkyTeam hub on the south side of the airport (Air France, KLM, Korean Air) plus Qatar Airways and Etihad. Direct on the Elizabeth Line and the Piccadilly Line; no direct Heathrow Express to T4. Allow a change at the central station if you book the Express.
  • Terminal 5 is the British Airways and Iberia terminal on the western edge, with its own road access and the T5B and T5C satellite buildings for BA short-haul Europe departures. Direct on Heathrow Express, the Elizabeth Line, and the Piccadilly Line.

If you have arrived at the wrong terminal, the inter-terminal options are documented on the transferring between Heathrow terminals page; allow 30 to 45 minutes for the move and a clear walk to check-in.

Related pages

Heathrow terminals overview
Compare the four operating terminals at Heathrow and find the right one for your flight.
Airlines at Heathrow
The reverse lookup: every airline at Heathrow with the terminal it uses.
Inter-terminal transfer
If you have arrived at the wrong terminal, the free transfer options between T2, T3, T4, and T5.
Heathrow airport map
The visual companion: every terminal, station, car park, and bus stop in one view.

Frequently asked

How do I find which terminal at Heathrow my flight uses?

Use the airline lookup on this page. Match your airline to the terminal in the table. If your booking shows two airlines (a marketing carrier and an operating carrier), the operating carrier sets the terminal. Heathrow groups its more than 80 scheduled carriers across Terminal 2, Terminal 3, Terminal 4, and Terminal 5; the airline determines which one you use.

What if my airline is not in the table?

A small number of seasonal, charter, or codeshare-only carriers are not in the regular published list. For these, check your booking confirmation, your airline app, or the live Heathrow departure board on the day of your flight. Terminal assignments occasionally change, and the live board is always the most current source.

Why does my codeshare flight show two different airlines?

A codeshare flight has a marketing carrier (who sold you the ticket) and an operating carrier (whose aircraft and crew run the flight). The terminal is set by the operating carrier. For example, a Finnair-marketed flight from Heathrow operated by British Airways leaves from Terminal 5, not Terminal 3, because BA is the operating carrier. Check the booking for a phrase like "Operated by" and use that airline name in the lookup.

What do I do if I arrive at the wrong terminal at Heathrow?

Free transport links all four terminals. The free inter-terminal coach links the terminals by road, around 15 minutes between Terminal 4 and the central area. The Elizabeth Line serves T2/T3, T4, and T5 directly, with free travel between any two Heathrow stations as long as you stay within the airport. Allow 30 to 45 minutes for the transfer and a clear walk to check-in. Heathrow Express runs free between the central T2/T3 station and T5 as a single internal hop.

How early should I arrive once I know my terminal?

Three hours before scheduled departure for a long-haul flight, two hours for short-haul. Bag drop at most airlines opens three to four hours before long-haul departure and closes 60 minutes before; short-haul cut-off is usually 45 minutes. Online check-in opens 24 hours before departure with most carriers and is the fastest way through if you have hand baggage only.

Do British Airways flights always leave from Terminal 5?

Yes for scheduled BA flights. British Airways operates virtually all of its Heathrow flights from Terminal 5, both long-haul and short-haul. Short-haul flights to Europe often depart from the T5B or T5C satellite buildings, reached by a free underground transit train from the main T5 building. The gate number on the boarding pass tells you which building you need.

Which terminal at Heathrow do Star Alliance carriers use?

Terminal 2, the Queen's Terminal, is the Star Alliance hub at Heathrow. Lufthansa, United Airlines, Air Canada, Singapore Airlines, ANA, Swiss, Turkish Airlines, and the other Star Alliance members based here all check in at T2. Air India joined them at T2 in 2025, having moved across from T4.