Air travel chaos briefly returned to one of the world's busiest airports on Wednesday as a suspected drone sighting caused significant disruption at London Heathrow.
Flights Diverted and Delayed
The incident, which occurred on 14 January 2026, led to a temporary pause in operations at the major UK hub. Passengers across the airport faced delays to both arriving and departing services, with many reporting the presence of an unauthorised unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
One of the most notable consequences was the diversion of at least one incoming flight. Swiss flight LX324, arriving from Zurich, was forced to divert to London Gatwick Airport after holding in a waiting pattern for close to half an hour.
Airport and Police Response
A spokesperson for Heathrow confirmed the disruption, stating that safety protocols were immediately enacted. "We can confirm that operations were briefly paused following a suspected drone sighting," the representative said. "Operations have since resumed, and we are monitoring the situation closely while working with the relevant authorities, including the police."
The swift response aimed to mitigate risk, as drones pose a severe safety hazard to aircraft, particularly during take-off and landing phases.
Echoes of Past Disruption
This event is a stark reminder of the vulnerability of major airports to drone incursions. It closely mirrors the major grounding of flights at London Gatwick in December 2018, which spanned several days, affected approximately 140,000 passengers, and became one of the most significant drone-related travel disruptions in European history.
The recurrence of such an incident at Heathrow, a critical piece of national infrastructure, will likely reignite debates about the technology and legislation needed to protect airspace from unauthorised UAVs.
Passengers are advised to check directly with their airline for the latest flight status information as the airport returns to normal schedules.
