Heathrow Airport reduced flights for 12 minutes during King's Birthday flypast

To clear the skies for the annual King’s Birthday flypast, Heathrow Airport scaled back its operations for a 12-minute window.

This enabled a spectacular show of military precision – 29 aircraft participated in the ceremonial display, flying from the North Sea to Buckingham Palace.

The short airport closure shows the level of planning and collaboration required to balance ceremonial tradition with modern aviation needs.

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Aircraft from nine Royal Air Force stations across the UK contributed to the formation, which included Chinook, Texan, Phenom, Voyager, C-17, A400M, F-35B Lightning, Typhoon, and the iconic Hawk T1s of the Red Arrows.

The flypast used a combination of more environmentally-friendly fuels – the team has never before flown with the sustainable fuels at a public event – and follows trials by RAF engineers and logisticians.

RAF Northolt also played a vital support role, contributing two Junos, two Texans, and a Phenom.

The two Junos acted as weather spotters, maintaining a holding orbit around Buckingham Palace to monitor conditions and confirm visibility remained suitable for the flypast.

Four Typhoon FGR4s also participated – aircraft known for their versatility in air policing, peacekeeping, and high-intensity combat operations.

Three Typhoons and one F-35B were held airborne as spares, ready to substitute for any aircraft if needed.