On Saturday, Aug. 15, a burst water main on Inner Road West prevented access to the central terminal area (CTA) of London’s Heathrow airport (LHR). Roads were closed at approximately 06:00 a.m. BST, which prevented access to Terminals 2 and 3. This led to heavy traffic congestion, and where possible, passengers were advised to use public transport.
Travel disruption
The incident comes less than two weeks after a grass fire broke out on a runway due to the recent UK heatwaves on Aug. 6. Just days later, on Aug. 10, a water leak prompted the closure of a tunnel for safety reasons, affecting rail links to the airport.
All three incidents occurred during the UK’s school summer holidays, the airport’s busiest season.
Annual figures
The latest annual figures from Airports Council International also revealed that LHR has lost its long-held title as Europe’s busiest airport. Turkey’s Istanbul airport (IST) recorded 8.15 million passengers in July 2026, compared with LHR’s 7.86 million.
Expansion plans at LHR were also reported to result in higher fares for passengers in the long term, as the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has granted the airport permission to recoup costs and charge airlines more for using the airport.
Were your travel plans affected by either the burst water main, grass fire or water leak recently at LHR? Let us know in the comments below.
