London’s Heathrow Airport Shuts Down Terminal 4 Check-In After Emergency Alert

Last Updated:September 09, 2025, 01:04 IST

Heathrow is the United Kingdom's main international gateway and one of the world’s busiest air travel hubs.

This is not the first recent disruption at Heathrow (IMAGE: REUTERS)

Heathrow Airport in London “closed and evacuated" the check-in area of Terminal 4 on Monday evening in response to what authorities described as an “incident," AFP reported. The airport’s operator announced the decision on social media, stating that emergency services were on-site managing the situation.

The London Fire Brigade later confirmed it was responding to a “possible hazardous materials incident," according to a statement cited by the BBC. “Specialist crews have been deployed to carry out an assessment of the scene, and part of the airport has been evacuated as a precaution whilst firefighters respond," the fire brigade said.

Heathrow, the United Kingdom’s main international gateway and one of the world’s busiest air travel hubs, advised passengers to avoid traveling to Terminal 4 until further notice. The UK’s Rail also issued an update on X (formerly Twitter), stating that its trains were “unable to call" at Terminal 4, located southwest of London, due to the incident.

According to CNN, Terminal 4 serves several major international carriers, including Air France, Bulgaria Air, China Southern, Etihad Airways, Korean Air, Qatar Airways, Vueling, and WestJet. The disruption could therefore impact a wide range of international flights and passengers.

London Fire Brigade said it was called to the scene at 5:01 pm local time, and fire crews from at least three nearby stations were dispatched to the airport. As of now, the exact nature of the incident remains unconfirmed, and authorities have not reported any injuries or exposures.

This is not the first recent disruption at Heathrow. In March, the airport experienced a full shutdown due to a fire at an off-site electrical substation. Additionally, Terminal 4 had previously been closed for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic, reopening on 14 June 2022 after significant refurbishment, including upgrades to air-conditioning systems, baggage screening, and public facilities.

All other terminals at Heathrow continue to operate normally on Monday.

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