Britain’s main airport will also stop early afternoon arrivals to avoid planes landing in the west of the capital during the Queen’s hearse procession and will stop take-offs later to avoid disturbing the ceremonial procession to Windsor. The changes will affect around 15% of Heathrow’s schedule, which the airport said was “equivalent to moderate weather”. British Airways expects to cancel around 50 flights as part of the changes. Departure times will be reduced throughout the afternoon to minimize noise during the Windsor engagement service. Flights will be diverted around Windsor Castle during the private family service and interment. Some roads around the airport will also be closed and Heathrow has urged people to use available rail links such as the Elizabeth line or tube. Separately, major UK supermarkets said their petrol stations would remain closed for most of the day of the funeral. Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons will close the suburbs on Monday, with some reopening at 5pm. Heathrow said its changes had been agreed with airlines and Nats air traffic control and would affect some scheduled flights, particularly in the late afternoon and early evening. Passengers whose travel plans need to be changed will be notified by their airlines, it said. A Heathrow spokesman said: “Out of respect, services to and from the airport will be subject to appropriate changes to avoid noise disruption at certain locations at certain times on Monday. Heathrow and the airlines are working closely with Nats to minimize the impact of these restrictions on passengers. “Passengers affected by these changes will be informed directly by their airlines about their travel plans and the options available to them. Passengers who have been notified that their flight has been canceled and/or do not have a confirmed seat on a flight should not come to the airport.” Those waiting for flights will be able to watch the funeral on screens at the airport. Non-essential shops in the terminals will close on Monday, although restaurants, cafes and pubs will remain open. Heathrow said it would deploy extra staff at the airport to support passengers. The airport apologized in advance for the inconvenience some passengers will experience, but said it believed “this is the right thing to do at a time of national mourning”. Subscribe to Business Today Get ready for the business day – we’ll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. A BA spokesman said: “As a mark of respect for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the day of her state funeral, we have reduced our schedule and rescheduled some flights at Heathrow to ensure the skies are quiet at certain times on Monday 19 September . Our thoughts remain with the royal family and the nation.” Gatwick Airport and London City services are expected to operate as scheduled. Heathrow flights were briefly suspended on Wednesday to ensure silence as the Queen’s coffin traveled from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall ahead of the state-in-residence.
All changes on Monday
11.40am-12.10pm: no take-offs or landings from Heathrow, around the two minutes’ silence at the end of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. 1.45-2.20pm: no arrivals to support the Queen’s hearse procession. 3.05-4.45pm: no departures. 4.45-9pm: reduced departure rate during service.
