Traffic Distribution Rules 1991
Under the Traffic Distribution Rules 1991 whole plane cargo services or general or business aviation cannot be operated at Heathrow or Gatwick airports during periods of peak congestion declared for each scheduling season, without permission from the airport operator.
The periods of peak congestion
The Civil Aviation Authority, in exercise of its powers under the above Rules and having consulted Heathrow Airport Ltd, Gatwick Airport Limited, and Airport Coordination Ltd defined and published the hours of peak congestion at Heathrow and Gatwick airports for the purposes of the above Rules are as specified below. All times are UTC.
All times are UTC
London Heathrow Airport
Arrivals
| Monday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Tuesday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Wednesday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Thursday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Friday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Saturday |
0500-1155 |
1300-1455 |
1900-1955 |
2100-2155 |
| Sunday |
0500-1155 |
1300-2155 |
|
|
Departures
| Monday |
0500-1855 |
2000-2155 |
|
|
| Tuesday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Wednesday |
0500-2055 |
|
|
|
| Thursday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Friday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Saturday |
0500-1555 |
2000-2155 |
|
|
| Sunday |
0500-0555 |
0700-2055 |
|
|
London Gatwick Airport
From 0000 on 23 May 2025 until 2359 on 29 September 2025
Arrivals & Departures
| Monday |
0500-1555 |
2200-2255 |
|
|
|
| Tuesday |
0500-0855 |
1000-1055 |
1200-1455 |
|
|
| Wednesday |
0500-0855 |
1300-1455 |
2000-2255 |
|
|
| Thursday |
0500-0855 |
1100-1455 |
|
|
|
| Friday |
0500-0855 |
1000-1655 |
2200-2255 |
|
|
| Saturday |
0500-0555 |
0700-0755 |
0900-0955 |
1100-1155 |
1300-1455 |
| Sunday |
0500-0555 |
0800-0855 |
1100-1855 |
2200-2255 |
|
Close
Summer 2025
All times are UTC
London Heathrow Airport
Arrivals
| Monday |
0600-1955 |
2100-2255 |
|
| Tuesday |
0600-1455 |
1600-1955 |
2200-2255 |
| Wednesday |
0600-1855 |
2100-2255 |
|
| Thursday |
0600-1655 |
1800-1855 |
2100-2255 |
| Friday |
0600-2255 |
|
|
| Saturday |
0600-1655 |
1800-1855 |
|
| Sunday |
0600-1855 |
2000-2255 |
|
Departures
| Monday |
0600-1655 |
1800-2055 |
2200-2255 |
|
|
| Tuesday |
0600-0655 |
0800-1555 |
1800-1855 |
2000-2055 |
2200-2255 |
| Wednesday |
0600-0655 |
0800-1455 |
1600-1655 |
1800-2055 |
2200-2255 |
| Thursday |
0600-1855 |
2000-2055 |
2200-2255 |
|
|
| Friday |
0600-2155 |
|
|
|
|
| Saturday |
0600-0655 |
0800-1655 |
1800-1855 |
|
|
| Sunday |
0800-2055 |
|
|
|
|
London Gatwick Airport
From 0000 on 1 December 2024 until 2359 on 30 March 2025
Arrivals & Departures
| Monday |
0600-0655 |
0800-1055 |
1200-1455 |
|
|
| Tuesday |
0800-0855 |
1000-1055 |
|
|
|
| Wednesday |
0800-0855 |
|
|
|
|
| Thursday |
0800-0855 |
1000-1055 |
1300-1655 |
|
|
| Friday |
0600-0855 |
1000-1055 |
1200-1855 |
2000-2055 |
2200-2255 |
| Saturday |
0700-0755 |
0900-0955 |
1100-1155 |
1400-1555 |
2000-2055 |
| Sunday |
0800-0855 |
1200-1655 |
1900-2055 |
|
|
Close
Winter 2024/2025
All times are UTC
London Heathrow Airport
Arrivals
| Monday |
0500-1655 |
1800-2155 |
|
|
| Tuesday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Wednesday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Thursday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Friday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Saturday |
0500-1155 |
1300-1455 |
1900-1955 |
2100-2155 |
| Sunday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
Departures
| Monday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Tuesday |
0500-2055 |
|
|
|
| Wednesday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Thursday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Friday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Saturday |
0500-1455 |
2000-2155 |
|
|
| Sunday |
0500-0555 |
0700-1755 |
1900-2155 |
|
London Gatwick Airport
Arrivals & Departures
| Monday |
0500-1055 |
1200-1255 |
1400-1455 |
1600-1655 |
| Tuesday |
0500-0855 |
1200-1255 |
1900-1955 |
|
| Wednesday |
0500-0855 |
1200-1255 |
1400-1455 |
|
| Thursday |
0500-0955 |
1100-1155 |
1300-1555 |
1800-1855 |
| Friday |
0500-0855 |
1000-1055 |
1200-1355 |
1500-1955 |
| Saturday |
0500-1255 |
1400-1455 |
|
|
| Sunday |
0500-0655 |
0800-0855 |
1000-1055 |
1200-1855 |
Close
Summer 2024
All times are UTC
London Heathrow Airport
Arrivals
| Monday |
0600-1955 |
2100-2255 |
|
|
| Tuesday |
0600-1855 |
2200-2255 |
|
|
| Wednesday |
0600-2055 |
2200-2255 |
|
|
| Thursday |
0600-1855 |
2000-2055 |
2200-2255 |
|
| Friday |
0600-1955 |
2100-2255 |
|
|
| Saturday |
0600-1555 |
1700-1755 |
|
|
| Sunday |
0600-1655 |
1800-1855 |
2000-2255 |
|
Departures
| Monday |
0600-2055 |
2200-2255 |
|
|
| Tuesday |
0600-1655 |
1800-1855 |
2200-2255 |
|
| Wednesday |
0600-1855 |
2200-2255 |
|
|
| Thursday |
0600-1755 |
2000-2055 |
2200-2255 |
|
| Friday |
0600-2155 |
|
|
|
| Saturday |
0600-1455 |
1600-1655 |
|
|
| Sunday |
0800-2055 |
|
|
|
London Gatwick Airport
Arrivals & Departures
| Monday |
0700-1055 |
1200-1255 |
|
|
|
| Tuesday |
0700-0855 |
|
|
|
|
| Wednesday |
0700-0855 |
|
|
|
|
| Thursday |
0700-0855 |
|
|
|
|
| Friday |
0600-1055 |
1200-1555 |
1700-1755 |
2000-2055 |
2200-2255 |
| Saturday |
0600-0755 |
0900-0955 |
1300-1455 |
1600-1655 |
|
| Sunday |
0600-1055 |
1200-1355 |
1500-1655 |
|
|
Close
Winter 2023/2024
All times are UTC
London Heathrow Airport
Arrivals
| Monday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Tuesday |
0500-1455 |
1600-2155 |
|
|
| Wednesday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Thursday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Friday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Saturday |
0500-1455 |
1900-1955 |
2100-2155 |
|
| Sunday |
0500-0955 |
1100-2155 |
|
|
Departures
| Monday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Tuesday |
0500-1355 |
|
|
|
| Wednesday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Thursday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Friday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Saturday |
0500-0955 |
1100-1455 |
2100-2155 |
|
| Sunday |
0500-0555 |
0800-2055 |
|
|
London Gatwick Airport
Arrivals & Departures
| Monday |
0600-1955 |
|
|
| Tuesday |
0500-1955 |
|
|
| Wednesday |
0500-1955 |
2100-2155 |
|
| Thursday |
0500-1155 |
1300-1955 |
|
| Friday |
0600-1955 |
2100-2255 |
|
| Saturday |
0600-1555 |
|
|
| Sunday |
0500-0555 |
0700-2055 |
2200-2255 |
Close
Summer 2023
All times are UTC.
London Heathrow Airport
Arrivals
| Monday |
0600-1855 |
2100-2255 |
|
| Tuesday |
0600-1355 |
1500-1955 |
2200-2255 |
| Wednesday |
0600-1955 |
2200-2255 |
|
| Thursday |
0600-1555 |
1700-1955 |
2200-2255 |
| Friday |
0600-2255 |
|
|
| Saturday |
0600-1455 |
|
|
| Sunday |
0600-1655 |
1800-1955 |
2200-2255 |
Departures
| Monday |
0600-1555 |
1700-2055 |
|
| Tuesday |
0600-0655 |
0800-1655 |
1800-1955 |
| Wednesday |
0600-0655 |
0800-1655 |
1800-1955 |
| Thursday |
0600-1655 |
1800-2055 |
2200-2255 |
| Friday |
0600-2155 |
|
|
| Saturday |
0600-0655 |
0900-1455 |
1600-1755 |
| Sunday |
0800-2155 |
|
|
London Gatwick Airport
All times are UTC.
01 December 2022 – 25 March 2023
Arrivals & Departures
| Monday |
0600-1455 |
1900-1955 |
|
| Tuesday |
0700-1055 |
|
|
| Wednesday |
0700-0955 |
2100-2155 |
|
| Thursday |
0700-1055 |
1400-1455 |
1700-1755 |
| Friday |
0600-1855 |
|
|
| Saturday |
0600-1455 |
1600-1655 |
|
| Sunday |
0600-0955 |
1100-1855 |
|
Close
Winter 2022/2023
All times are UTC.
London Heathrow Airport
Arrivals
| Monday |
0500-1655 |
1800-2155 |
|
|
| Tuesday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Wednesday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Thursday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Friday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Saturday |
0500-1155 |
1300-1455 |
1900-1955 |
2100-2155 |
| Sunday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
Departures
| Monday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Tuesday |
0500-2055 |
|
|
|
| Wednesday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Thursday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Friday |
0500-2155 |
|
|
|
| Saturday |
0500-1455 |
2000-2155 |
|
|
| Sunday |
0500-0555 |
0700-1755 |
1900-2155 |
|
London Gatwick Airport
Arrivals & Departures
| Monday |
0500-1955 |
2100-2155 |
|
|
| Tuesday |
0500-0855 |
1000-1955 |
2100-2155 |
|
| Wednesday |
0500-1855 |
|
|
|
| Thursday |
0500-1955 |
2100-2155 |
|
|
| Friday |
0500-1955 |
2100-2155 |
|
|
| Saturday |
0500-1655 |
|
|
|
| Sunday |
0600-2255 |
|
|
|
Close
Summer 2022
