Heathrow has begun a six-month trial allowing passengers to pre-book security slots ahead of their flights.
The free service, called Heathrow Timeslot, gives passengers a designated time and entry point to the security search area.
It aims to reduce queue times for all passengers by allowing staff to plan resources more effectively.
The trial will be live in Terminal 3 for up to six months and initially be open to passengers travelling with four airlines: American Airlines, Delta, Emirates and Virgin Atlantic. Further airlines may be added during the trial.
The airport said its passengers have consistently passed through security in less than five minutes over the summer and passenger satisfaction was higher than pre-pandemic levels, “reflecting the investment the airport, airlines and their ground handlers have made in recruiting and training over 25,000 new colleagues in the last two years”.
Mark Powell, Heathrow operational planning director, said: “Everyone is familiar with airport security, but at Heathrow we’re constantly thinking of innovative ways to boost the safety and streamline the experience for our passengers.
“This new trial will give passengers that extra added bit of certainty and reassurance ahead of their journey and we think it will be particularly popular for those with families or nervous travellers who may want a bit more confidence in their journeys.
We look forward to seeing the data come in to give us some learnings on how we can roll this out more widely across Heathrow.”
Guy Snelgar, global business travel director of The Advantage Travel Partnership, said: “There is no doubt that at times when airports are very busy, queuing to get through airport security can often be very stressful for travellers trying to catch their flights on time.
“It’s positive to see Heathrow trialling time slots which will remove that uncertainty and allow travellers to better plan their schedules moving forward.
“This new option could be particularly useful for business travellers who are typically on a tighter schedule whilst working around meetings and I would expect to see a high level of interest from travel managers who are always looking to make journeys as frictionless as possible.”