N E S W 90°
09R / 27L
RWY 09R/27L
HDG 90°
LEN 12,001 ft
London Heathrow Airport

Runway 09R at EGLL

Runway 09R/27L at London Heathrow Airport (EGLL) in London is a 12,001 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 090°/270°. The runway is 164 ft wide, with a 1,013 ft displaced threshold on the 09R end. SkyMeter has observed 559 landings and 6,445 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 0.0% of arrivals resulting in a go-around. Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 1.2°, touchdowns averaging 3,197 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 135 kt, a 5.4 kt average crosswind component, a 3.2 kt average headwind.

Last 30 Days
7004 Operations
6445 Deps / 559 Arrs

Runway 09R/27L at London Heathrow Airport (EGLL) in London is a 12,001 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 090°/270°. The runway is 164 ft wide, with a 1,013 ft displaced threshold on the 09R end. SkyMeter has observed 559 landings and 6,445 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 0.0% of arrivals resulting in a go-around. Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 1.2°, touchdowns averaging 3,197 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 135 kt, a 5.4 kt average crosswind component, a 3.2 kt average headwind.

Runway at a Glance

Arrival Volume

559 landings observed on Runway 09R in the last 30 days, alongside 6,445 departures.

Peak Hour

Busiest landing window observed at 05:00 with 9 arrivals on the recent sample.

Average Touchdown Zone

Aircraft touch down on average 3,197 ft from the threshold on Runway 09R.

Prevailing Wind & Gust History

Over the past 365 days, winds at EGLL have prevailed from the south-southwest (210°), accounting for roughly 14% of windy observations. Average wind speed sits at 8.1 kt with peak gusts to 41 kt. Strong-wind days are infrequent here.

Moderate Crosswind Component

Average crosswind on landing is 5.4 kt at touchdown, measured against runway 09R alignment.

Approach Slope

Final-approach slope averages 1.2° on Runway 09R, shallower than the standard 3°.

Landing Behavior and Touchdown Performance

The metrics below are computed from ADS-B trace data observed at Runway 09R over the last 30 days. Each value is shown only when at least 10 valid samples were available; sparse cells are hidden rather than estimated.

Avg approach slope
1.2°
Avg touchdown GS
135 kts
Avg touchdown zone
3,197 ft
Avg headwind
3.2 kt

Hourly Landing Distribution

04:00 1 landings
05:00 9 landings
06:00 7 landings
07:00 1 landings
13:00 3 landings
14:00 6 landings
15:00 2 landings
18:00 3 landings
19:00 5 landings
20:00 7 landings
21:00 1 landings
22:00 5 landings

Recent observed landings on Runway 09R grouped by hour-of-day (UTC).

Approach Types and Categories

Aircraft approach runways using different procedures based on weather conditions, visibility, and available navigation equipment. An Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach provides precision horizontal and vertical guidance using ground-based radio signals, enabling aircraft to land in low visibility conditions. Visual approaches require pilots to maintain visual contact with the runway and surrounding terrain, typically used during clear weather. Area Navigation (RNAV) approaches use GPS technology to guide aircraft along specific flight paths.

Approach Categories Explained

Category (CAT) classifications define minimum visibility and decision height requirements for instrument approaches. Higher categories enable operations in lower visibility conditions.

CAT I
Decision Height: 200 ft
Visibility: 550m
CAT II
Decision Height: 100 ft
Visibility: 300m
CAT III
Decision Height: 0-50 ft
Visibility: 0-200m
Visual
Clear of Clouds
Visibility: 5 km

Wind and Environmental Factors

Wind conditions directly impact runway operations, influencing approach difficulty, landing performance, and runway selection. Runway 09R benefits from favorable wind alignment, with prevailing winds creating minimal crosswind components for most operations. Average wind speeds of 12 knots pose no operational constraints for commercial aircraft.

24-Hour Wind Pattern

05:00
21° at 5 kts, gusting 0 kts
5 kts
06:00
167° at 7 kts, gusting 0 kts
7 kts
07:00
10° at 6 kts, gusting 0 kts
6 kts
18:00
40° at 8 kts, gusting 0 kts
8 kts
19:00
50° at 8 kts, gusting 0 kts
8 kts
20:00
57° at 7 kts, gusting 0 kts
7 kts
21:00
50° at 7 kts, gusting 0 kts
7 kts
04:00
10° at 4 kts, gusting 0 kts
4 kts
13:00
340° at 7 kts, gusting 0 kts
7 kts
14:00
35° at 9 kts, gusting 0 kts
9 kts
15:00
360° at 8 kts, gusting 17 kts
8 kts
22:00
44° at 6 kts, gusting 0 kts
6 kts
METAR
320° at 4 kts, gusting 0 kts
4 kts

Wind patterns show typical diurnal variation with stronger winds during midday hours.

Average Speed
12 kts
Peak Gust
18 kts
Prevailing Direction
90°
Avg Crosswind
8 kts

Related Pages

About This Data

This analysis covers 7004 operations recorded over the past 30 days, derived from global ADS-B flight broadcasts. Coverage may be incomplete in areas with limited ground-station reception, and statistics may vary with weather and traffic volume.