World's first airport ULEZ planned for Heathrow

Heathrow Airport has announced its intention to introduce the world’s first airport Ultra Low Emission Zone (the Heathrow ULEZ) in 2022.

The Heathrow ULEZ will introduce the same minimum vehicle emissions standards as the London Mayor’s ULEZ for passenger cars and private hire vehicles entering car parks or drop-off areas at any of Heathrow’s terminals, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

With the opening of the new runway from 2026 and improvements to public transport access to the airport, the Heathrow ULEZ will transition into a vehicle access charge (VAC) on all passenger cars, taxis and private hire vehicles coming to car parks or drop-off areas.

Initial proposals for the Heathrow ULEZ could set the charge figure between £10-15, in line with charges set by the Mayor in central London. Exact details for the Heathrow ULEZ will be confirmed when Heathrow submits its final DCO application for expansion after public consultation. Revenue generated from both schemes will help fund initiatives to improve sustainable transport, contribute to community compensation and help keep airport charges affordable as the airport expands.

The airport will also shortly be introducing its Colleague Strategy with the aim of significantly reducing the number of colleague car trips through a mixture of incentives, restraints on parking, and investment in new public transport links.