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Heathrow Down to a Single Runway After Grass Fire Near 27L

Britain's busiest airport is down to one runway during evening peak, with arrivals holding and departure delays mounting across all terminals.

by Zach Benitez

Aug 06, 2026

1 min read

BREAKING - Britain's busiest airport has found itself in a tough spot Thursday afternoon after a grass fire shut down Runway 27 Left (27L). Heathrow, an airport that is often operating at or above its capacity, often uses its two runways in parallel to manage departure and arrival flow. The temporary loss of 27L has forced all operations to Runway 27 Right, causing significant operational delays.

Footage shot by passengers and posted on social media depicts plumes of smoke drifting up from a grassy area adjacent to the runway. Multiple Heathrow Airport fire trucks can also be seen attempting to control the blaze.

THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY - Last updated 1:30 PM ET / 18:30 UTC

Written by

Zach Benitez

Zach Benitez is the editor in chief of Contrail. He has reviewed airlines in more than 50 countries and flies hundreds of thousands of miles a year to show readers what flying is really like. He's based in New York and studies at NYU.