A burst water main beneath Inner Ring Road West at Heathrow Airport caused flooding on 15 August 2026, leading to road closures restricting vehicle access to Terminals 2 and 3 in the Central Terminal Area (CTA).
Travel Advisories for Terminals 2 and 3
Passengers are advised not to travel by road to Terminals 2 and 3 due to flooding and road closures. They are strongly encouraged to use rail services including Heathrow Express, Elizabeth Line, and Piccadilly Line to access these terminals.
Passengers who must drive are advised to use Park and Ride facilities at Terminals 4 or 5 and take free rail services from there to
Terminals 2 and 3. Extra travel time is recommended due to the disruption.
Official Response and Operations Status
A Heathrow Airport spokesman said: “Flooding in the central terminal area has resulted in on-going road closures restricting access to Terminals 2 and 3. Passengers travelling to or from either of these terminals today must not travel by road. Passengers are strongly advised to use Heathrow Express, Elizabeth Line and Piccadilly Line rail services where possible. Any passengers that must travel by car must use Park and Ride, head to Terminals 4 or 5 and take free rail services from there, or change at local rail stations.
Please allow extra time for your journey. Our teams are working to resolve the situation as quickly as possible, we apologise for any disruption caused.”
The flooding is confined to roads in the CTA with no water ingress reported inside the terminals. Flight operations at Heathrow Airport have not been disrupted according to the main source, Wandsworth Times.
Summer Holiday Travel and Passenger Impact
The flooding disruption on 15 August 2026 coincides with the UK’s school summer holidays, a peak travel period at Heathrow, potentially increasing the number of passengers affected by the closures and transport restrictions.
