History of London Heathrow Airport
Encyclopedia
In its early years what is now London Heathrow Airport
was the Great West Aerodrome, sometimes known as Heathrow Aerodrome.
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
was the Great West Aerodrome, sometimes known as Heathrow Aerodrome.
Before 1920
- Heathrow was a hamletHamlet (place)A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
, an isolated row of cottages on the northwestern edge of the historic highwaymen's lair of Hounslow HeathHounslow HeathHounslow Heath is a public open space and local nature reserve to the west of Hounslow, a London borough. It now covers about , the residue of the historic Hounslow Heath that covered over .-History:...
, and roughly where Terminal 3 is today. - About 1410: First known mention of Heathrow (spelled La Hetherewe).
- 1915: Fairey AviationFairey AviationThe Fairey Aviation Company Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer of the first half of the 20th century based in Hayes in Greater London and Heaton Chapel and RAF Ringway in Greater Manchester...
started assembling and flight testing its aircraft from Northolt Aerodrome. - During the First World War, Hounslow Heath AerodromeHounslow Heath AerodromeHounslow Heath Aerodrome was a grass airfield, operational 1914-1920. It was situated in the London borough of Hounslow, and in 1919 was the location from which the first scheduled daily international commercial air services took place.-1909-1914:...
was established as a Royal Flying Corps (RFC)Royal Flying CorpsThe Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
airfield, about 2 miles (3.2 km) south-east of Heathrow, and was the only London aerodrome with customs facilities in 1919 and 1920. After it closed, Croydon AirportCroydon AirportCroydon Airport was an airport in South London which straddled the boundary between what are now the London boroughs of Croydon and Sutton. It was the main airport for London before it was replaced by Northolt Aerodrome, London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport...
became the principal London Airport.
1920s
- 1925: Norman MacMillan, an RAF officer, made a forced landing and take-off at Heathrow. He noted the flatness of the land and its suitability for an airfield. The land around was at the time used for market gardeningMarket gardeningA market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. It is distinguishable from other types of farming by the diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically, from under one acre ...
. - 1928: The Air MinistryAir MinistryThe Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
gave Fairey notice to cease using Northolt. Fairey Aviation needed an airfield for flight testing of aircraft designed and manufactured at its factory in North Hyde Road, HayesHayes, HillingdonHayes is a town in the London Borough of Hillingdon, West London. It is a suburban development situated west of Charing Cross. Hayes was developed in the late 19th and 20th centuries as an industrial locality to which residential districts were later added in order to house factory workers...
. Norman MacMillan, now Fairey's chief test pilot, remembered the forced landing and take-off at Heathrow in 1925, and recommended the suitability of the area for an aerodrome. MacMillan flew aerial surveys of the site. - 1929: Fairey Aviation started by buying 148 acres (59.9 ha) of farmland in four adjoining plots near southeast of the hamlet of Heathrow from four local landowners, for about £1,500, at the typical 1929 market rate of £10 per acre. The site was bounded to the north-east by Cain's Lane, to the south by the Duke of Northumberland's RiverDuke of Northumberland's RiverThe Duke of Northumberland's River consists of two sections of artificial waterway. The older name: "Isleworth Mill Stream", or River, more accurately describes the economic motivation for their construction.-The western section :...
, and to the west by High Tree Lane. The airfield boundaries were south of the Bath Road, north-west of the Great South West RoadA30 roadThe 284 miles A30 road from London to Land's End, historically known as the Great South West Road used to provide the most direct route from London to the south west; more recently the M3 motorway and A303 road performs this function for much of the route and only parts of A30 now retain trunk...
, and about two miles west of the western end of the Great West Road. The airfield was about three miles by road from the Hayes factory.
1930s
- June 1930: The Great West Aerodrome, as it came to be known, was declared operational. A hangarHangarA hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
was built. Fairey planned to relocate its factory at Hayes to the site. The Great West Aerodrome was used for aircraft assembly and testing. Commercial traffic used Croydon AirportCroydon AirportCroydon Airport was an airport in South London which straddled the boundary between what are now the London boroughs of Croydon and Sutton. It was the main airport for London before it was replaced by Northolt Aerodrome, London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport...
, which was London's main airport at the time. That year Fairey bought 29 acres (11.7 ha) more land at Heathrow. - 1935 to 1939: The Royal Aeronautical SocietyRoyal Aeronautical SocietyThe Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a multidisciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community.-Function:...
(RAeS) held its annual garden party fly-ins at Heathrow airfield, at the invitation of Richard FaireyCharles Richard FaireySir Charles Richard Fairey MBE, FRAeS was a British aircraft manufacturer.-Early life:Charles Fairey was born was born on 5 May 1887 in Hendon, Middlesex and educated at the Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood and later as an apprentice at the Finsbury Technical College where he studied City &...
, chairman and managing director of Fairey Aviation Company Ltd, and a past president of the RAeS. The events were aviation society gatherings combined with promotion and display of aircraft and their manufacturers, before the development of aircraft industry shows in Britain, from 1947. Richard Fairey, who started in business with model aircraft, also allow weekend use of the airfield by model aircraft clubs. More people were said to visit Heathrow on that one day than they did for the rest of the year.
1940s
- What became the airport was used by the RAF during the Second World War, but only for diversions.
- 1940: No. 229 SquadronNo. 229 Squadron RAFNo. 229 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force, and is an officially accredited Battle of Britain Squadron. It became No. 603 Squadron RAF in January 1945.-Formation & World War I:...
Hurricanes from RAF NortholtRAF NortholtRAF Northolt is a Royal Air Force station situated in South Ruislip, east by northeast of Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, West London. Approximately north of London Heathrow Airport, the station also handles a large number of private civil flights...
were sent to the Great West Aerodrome while there was a threat of enemy attack on Northolt. - 1942: Richard Fairey was knighted as Sir Richard Fairey, and held the position of Director General of the British Air Mission, based primarily in Washington, DC.
- 1943: Fairey Aviation bought 10 more acres of land to add to the total of 230 acres (93.1 ha) bought in 1929, 1930, 1939 and 1942. The company's intention was to relocate its production facilities from Hayes to the aerodrome.
- 1943: The Air Ministry, headed by the Secretary of State for AirSecretary of State for AirThe Secretary of State for Air was a cabinet level British position. The person holding this position was in charge of the Air Ministry. It was created on 10 January 1919 to manage the Royal Air Force...
(Sir Archibald Sinclair), secretly developed plans to requisition the airfield under wartime legislation – the Defence of the Realm Act 1914Defence of the Realm Act 1914The Defence of the Realm Act was passed in the United Kingdom on 8 August 1914, during the early weeks of World War I. It gave the government wide-ranging powers during the war period, such as the power to requisition buildings or land needed for the war effort, or to make regulations creating...
. The plans were stated to be designed to suit the considerable needs of long-range bombers, such as USAAF Boeing B-29s, but they were actually based on recommendations from professor Patrick AbercrombiePatrick AbercrombieSir Leslie Patrick Abercrombie ) was an English town planner. Educated at Uppingham School, Rutland; brother of Lascelles Abercrombie, poet and literary critic.-Career:...
for a new international airport for London. The project was headed by Harold Balfour (then Under-Secretary of State for Air, later Lord Balfour of Inchrye), who kept the true nature of it hidden from parliament. - January 1944:: The decision and plans were finally revealed.
- The wartime legislation provided no obligation to pay compensation; Fairey Aviation was offered compensation at the 1939 farming land market rate of £10 per acre; that was rejected. Sir Richard wrote to his co-chairman of Fairey Aviation:
- The Air Ministry requisitioned the aerodrome, although the role that Fairey Aviation was fulfilling in the war effort meant the Ministry of Aircraft Production would only sanction the action if another site could be found for the test flights. Fairey moved to Heston AerodromeHeston AerodromeHeston Aerodrome was a 1930s airfield located to the west of London, UK, operational between 1929 and 1947. It was situated on the border of the Heston and Cranford areas of Hounslow, Middlesex...
, and stayed there until 1947, when it moved to White WalthamWhite WalthamWhite Waltham is a village and civil parish, west of Maidenhead, in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the English county of Berkshire. It has a population of 2,875, and is the location of White Waltham Airfield.-Extent:...
airfield in BuckinghamshireBuckinghamshireBuckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
. That proved especially inconvenient for the company, as the airfield was over 20 miles (32.2 km) from Hayes. As the aerodrome at Heathrow had been bought under the Defence of the Realm Act 1914Defence of the Realm Act 1914The Defence of the Realm Act was passed in the United Kingdom on 8 August 1914, during the early weeks of World War I. It gave the government wide-ranging powers during the war period, such as the power to requisition buildings or land needed for the war effort, or to make regulations creating...
, it meant the Government did not have to pay compensation when compulsorily acquiring land. Fairey sought compensation through legal proceedings that continued until 1964. Until their conclusion, the former Fairey hangar at the airport could not be demolished.
- April 1944: The Air MinistryAir MinistryThe Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
requisitioned the airfield and surrounding farms, roads and houses, ostensibly to accommodate military bombers. Construction of the new airport by Wimpey ConstructionGeorge WimpeyGeorge Wimpey was formed in 1880 and, based in Hammersmith, operated largely as a road surfacing contractor. The business was acquired by Godfrey Mitchell in 1919 and he developed it into the UK’s pre-eminent construction and housebuilding firm. In 2007, Wimpey merged with Taylor Woodrow to create...
began. - May 1944: Eviction notices were issued. Airfield construction work began: demolition of Heathrow domestic and farm buildings, and removing roads across the site.
- May 1945: When World War II ended, the new airfield was still under construction. By then, the plans had already changed from tenuous wartime military use to overt development into an international airport.
- 1945: several bombers including LancastersAvro LancasterThe Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
and HalifaxHandley Page HalifaxThe Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...
were diverted there. No RAF aircraft became based there, although the facilities common on RAF bases had been built. - 1 January 1946:: Ownership of the site was transferred from the (military) Air Ministry to the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
- 25 March 1946: Lord WinsterReginald Fletcher, 1st Baron WinsterReginald Thomas Herbert Fletcher, 1st Baron Winster PC was a British Liberal then Labour politician. He was Minister of Supply under Clement Attlee between 1945 and 1946 and Governor of Cyprus between 1946 and 1949....
, the Minister of Aviation, performed the official opening ceremony. The first aircraft to use the new airport was a British South American AirwaysBritish South American AirwaysBritish South American Airways or British South American Airways Corporation was a state-run airline in Britain in the 1940s. It was originally called British Latin American Air Lines Ltd....
(BSAA) Avro LancastrianAvro Lancastrian|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Franks, Richard A. The Avro Lancaster, Manchester and Lincoln: A Comprehensive Guide for the Modeller. London: SAM Publications, 2000. ISBN 0-9533465-3-6....
named Star Light. - 31 May 1946: The newly-named London Airport was officially opened for commercial operations.
- 16 April 1946: The first aircraft of a foreign airline, a PanairPanair do BrasilPanair do Brasil is a defunct airline of Brazil. Between 1945 and 1965 it was considered to be the largest carrier not only in Brazil but in all of Latin America.-NYRBA do Brasil :...
Lockheed 049 ConstellationLockheed ConstellationThe Lockheed Constellation was a propeller-driven airliner powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all distinguished by a...
, landed after a flight from Rio de Janeiro. BOAC'sBritish Overseas Airways CorporationThe British Overseas Airways Corporation was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways Ltd. and British Airways Ltd...
first scheduled flight was an Avro LancastrianAvro Lancastrian|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Franks, Richard A. The Avro Lancaster, Manchester and Lincoln: A Comprehensive Guide for the Modeller. London: SAM Publications, 2000. ISBN 0-9533465-3-6....
headed for Australia on a route operated jointly with QantasQantasQantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
. - 31 May 1946: The airport was fully opened for civilian use.
- 1947: By now Heathrow runways formed a triangle consisting of 100/280 (9200 feet (2,804.2 m) long), 156/336 (6300 feet (1,920.2 m) long), and 52/232 (6700 feet (2,042.2 m) long). A parallel runway farther west soon replaced 156/336 thereby expanding the planned terminal area inside the triangle. The temporary "prefab" passenger and cargo buildings were at the northeast edge of the airport, just south of Bath Road.
1950s
- Early 1950s: Three more runways were completed to make a Star of DavidStar of DavidThe Star of David, known in Hebrew as the Shield of David or Magen David is a generally recognized symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism.Its shape is that of a hexagram, the compound of two equilateral triangles...
pattern () within which two runways would always be within 30° of the wind direction. - 7 February 1952: Princess Elizabeth returned to the United Kingdom as Queen Elizabeth II. She arrived on the BOAC ArgonautCanadair North StarThe Canadair North Star was a 1940s Canadian development of the Douglas C-54 / DC-4 aircraft. Instead of radial piston engines found on the Douglas design, Canadair employed Rolls-Royce Merlin engines in order to achieve a 35 mph faster cruising speed. The prototype flew on 15 July 1946 and...
Atalanta, on an area of the airport now covered by the Brasserie Restaurant of the Heathrow Renaissance Hotel. - 1953: Queen Elizabeth II ceremonially laid the first slab of a new runway that year.
- December 1953: Passenger traffic reached 1 million, with a total of 62,000 flights completed over the year.
- 1955: Queen Elizabeth II opened the first permanent passenger terminal, the Europa Building, later known as Terminal 2. These terminal buildings stood in the middle of the star pattern of runways and needed an access tunnel from the Bath Road (A4) passing under Runway 28R/10L .
- 1 April 1955: A new 38.8 metres (127.3 ft) control towerControl towerA control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
designed by Frederick GibberdFrederick GibberdSir Frederick Ernest Gibberd was an English architect and landscape designer.Gibberd was born in Coventry, the eldest of the five children of a local tailor, and was educated at the city's King Henry VIII School...
opened to replace the original 1940s tower. - Late 1950s BEA Helicopters ran an experimental helicopter service to Heathrow Central from London's South Bank and other destinations. The Roof Gardens on top of the Queen's Building and Europa Terminal were very popular with the public and above the tunnel there was a ground enclosure from which sight-seeing flights operated
1960s
- 1961: Runway lengths: Runway 10L 9313 ft, 10R had been extended west to 11000 ft, 5L 6255 ft, 5R 7734 ft, 15R 7560 ft, 15L not in use.
- 13 November 1961: The Oceanic Terminal (renamed as Terminal 3 in 1968) opened to handle long-haul flight departures. The Roof Gardens on the Queen's Building and the Europa Terminal remained popular.
- 1964: The legal dispute between Fairey AviationFairey AviationThe Fairey Aviation Company Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer of the first half of the 20th century based in Hayes in Greater London and Heaton Chapel and RAF Ringway in Greater Manchester...
and the government over compensation, which started in early 1944, was finally settled in the sum of £1,600,000. Fairey's 1930 hangar, in legal limbo for 20 years, and used as the Heathrow Airport fire stationFire stationA fire station is a structure or other area set aside for storage of firefighting apparatus , personal protective equipment, fire hose, fire extinguishers, and other fire extinguishing equipment...
and as backdrop for an advertising billboard for BOACBoacBoac may refer to:* Boac, Marinduque, a municipality in the Southern Philippines* Boac , an American rapper* British Overseas Airways Corporation, a former British state-owned airline...
, was then finally demolished. - May 1968: Terminal 1 opened, completing the cluster of buildings at the centre of the airport site. By this time Heathrow was handling 14 million passengers annually.
- May 1969: Queen Elizabeth II formally inaugurated Terminal 1.
- The location of the original terminals in the centre of the site subsequently became a constraint on expansion. Built for easy access to all runways, it was assumed that passengers using the terminals would not need extensive car parking, as air travel was beyond all but the wealthy, who would often be chauffeurChauffeurA chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.Originally such drivers were always personal servants of the vehicle owner, but now in many cases specialist chauffeur service companies, or individual drivers provide...
-driven to the airport with the chauffeur leaving with the car once his passengers had departed, and later coming back with the car to collect his returning passenger.
- The location of the original terminals in the centre of the site subsequently became a constraint on expansion. Built for easy access to all runways, it was assumed that passengers using the terminals would not need extensive car parking, as air travel was beyond all but the wealthy, who would often be chauffeur
- Late 1960s: A 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) cargo terminal was built to the south of the southern runway, connected to Terminals 1, 2 and 3 by the Heathrow Cargo TunnelHeathrow Cargo TunnelThe Heathrow Cargo Tunnel is a road tunnel in the London Borough of Hillingdon, London, UK that serves London Heathrow Airport.-History:In December 1968, the tunnel first opened, to connect Terminals 1, 2 and 3 to the newly opened cargo terminal at Heathrow, and it cost £2 million to build...
.
1970s
- 1970: Terminal 3 was expanded with the addition of an arrivals building in 1970. Other new facilities included the UK's first moving walkways. Heathrow's two main east-west runways, 09L-27R and 09R-27L, were also extended to their current lengths to accommodate new large jets such as the Boeing 747. The other runways were closed to facilitate terminal expansion, except for Runway 23, which remained available for crosswind landings until 2002.
- 19 July 1975: Piccadilly linePiccadilly LineThe Piccadilly line is a line of the London Underground, coloured dark blue on the Tube map. It is the fifth busiest line on the Underground network judged by the number of passengers transported per year. It is mainly a deep-level line, running from the north to the west of London via Zone 1, with...
extension from Hounslow West opened as far as Hatton Cross. For more information see Hounslow West tube station#Heathrow extension. - 1977: The London Underground Piccadilly linePiccadilly LineThe Piccadilly line is a line of the London Underground, coloured dark blue on the Tube map. It is the fifth busiest line on the Underground network judged by the number of passengers transported per year. It is mainly a deep-level line, running from the north to the west of London via Zone 1, with...
was opened from Hatton Cross to Heathrow Central, putting the airport within just under an hour's journey of Central London.
1980s
- Early 1980s: By now, annual passenger numbers had increased to 30 million, and required more terminal space. As a result, Terminal 4 was constructed to the south of the southern runway, next to the existing cargo terminal and away from the three older terminals with connections to Terminals 1, 2 and 3 provided by the existing Heathrow Cargo Tunnel.
- 1984: The one-way underground railway loop serving Heathrow Terminal 4 (south of the central terminal area) was added to the London Underground Piccadilly linePiccadilly LineThe Piccadilly line is a line of the London Underground, coloured dark blue on the Tube map. It is the fifth busiest line on the Underground network judged by the number of passengers transported per year. It is mainly a deep-level line, running from the north to the west of London via Zone 1, with...
. Heathrow Central station was renamed Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3 can refer to the following:*Terminals at London Heathrow Airport**Terminal 1**Terminal 2**Terminal 3*Transit stations**Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3 tube station, serving the Piccadilly Line of the London Underground...
. - 1986: The London orbital motorway (M25M25 motorwayThe M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
) opened in 1986 and provided a direct motorway link to much of the country. - 1 April 1986: Terminal 4 was opened by the PrinceCharles, Prince of WalesPrince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
and Princess of WalesDiana, Princess of WalesDiana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
, and became the home of the newly privatised British Airways. - 1987: The UK government privatised the British Airports Authority (now known as "BAA Limited") which controls Heathrow and six other UK airports.
- Following privatisation, during the late 1980s and 1990s BAA expanded the proportion of terminal space allocated to retail activities and invested in retail development activities. This included expanding terminal areas to provide more shops and restaurants, and routing passengers through shopping areas to maximise their exposure to retail offerings.
1990s
- 7 February 1996: ConcordeConcordeAérospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...
G-BOAD left Heathrow and crossed the Atlantic Ocean creating a new world record time between New York and London of 2 hours, 52 minutes and 59 seconds. - May 1997: The planning stage of the Terminal 5 Public Planning Inquiry ended at a total cost of £80m. Testimony was heard from 700 witnesses and 100,000 pages of transcripts were recorded. In total the consultation process took 524 days; eight years elapsed from the first application to final government approval – the longest ever planning process in UK history.
- 23 June 1998: The Heathrow ExpressHeathrow ExpressHeathrow Express is an airport rail link from London Heathrow Airport to London Paddington station in London operated by the Heathrow Express Operating Authority, a wholly owned subsidiary of BAA. It was opened by the then Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1998...
began providing a railway service from Paddington stationPaddington stationPaddington railway station, also known as London Paddington, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex.The site is a historic one, having served as the London terminus of the Great Western Railway and its successors since 1838. Much of the current mainline station dates...
in London. A special rail line was constructed between Heathrow and the Great Western Main LineGreat Western Main LineThe Great Western Main Line is a main line railway in Great Britain that runs westwards from London Paddington station to the west of England and South Wales. The core Great Western Main Line runs from London Paddington to Temple Meads railway station in Bristol. A major branch of the Great...
for this service.
2000s
- September 2002:: Construction of Terminal 5 began.
- Its first stage (which took 18 months) was the Twin Rivers Diversion Scheme, diverting the Longford RiverLongford RiverThe Longford River is an artificial waterway that diverts water 19km from the River Colne at Longford to Bushy Park and Hampton Court Palace where it reaches the Thames on the reach above Teddington Lock....
and the Duke of Northumberland's RiverDuke of Northumberland's RiverThe Duke of Northumberland's River consists of two sections of artificial waterway. The older name: "Isleworth Mill Stream", or River, more accurately describes the economic motivation for their construction.-The western section :...
around the western perimeter of the airport, and realigning the A3044 dual carriageway and the Western Perimeter Road.
- Its first stage (which took 18 months) was the Twin Rivers Diversion Scheme, diverting the Longford River
- 2005: Runway 23, a short runway for use in strong south-westerly winds, was decommissioned. It is now part of a taxiwayTaxiwayA taxiway is a path on an airport connecting runways with ramps, hangars, terminals and other facilities. They mostly have hard surface such as asphalt or concrete, although smaller airports sometimes use gravel or grass....
. - 2005: The Eastern Extension of Terminal 1 opened.
- 2006: The new £105 million Pier 6 was completed at Terminal 3 in order to accommodate the Airbus A380Airbus A380The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It is the largest passenger airliner in the world. Due to its size, many airports had to modify and improve facilities to accommodate it...
superjumbo, and provided four new aircraft stands. Other modifications costing in excess of £340 million were also carried out across the airfield in readiness for the Airbus A380. - From 7 January 2005 to 17 September 2006: The underground railway loop via Heathrow Terminal 4 was closed to connect a spur line to Heathrow Terminal 5 stationHeathrow Terminal 5 stationHeathrow Terminal 5 station is a shared railway station at London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 which was opened on 27 March 2008. It was designed by architects HOK International in conjunction with Rogers, Stirk, Harbour & Partners....
. Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3 can refer to the following:*Terminals at London Heathrow Airport**Terminal 1**Terminal 2**Terminal 3*Transit stations**Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3 tube station, serving the Piccadilly Line of the London Underground...
was again a terminus. Shuttle buses served Terminal 4 from Hatton CrossHatton, LondonHatton is a small settlement in the London Borough of Hounslow, on the southern perimeter of London Heathrow Airport and on the A30 road.-Etymology:Hatton's name comes from Anglo-Saxon Hǣþtūn = "heath farmstead".-Neighbours:...
bus station. Briefly in summer 2006, the line terminated at Hatton Cross and shuttle buses also ran to Terminals 1, 2, 3 while the track configuration and tunnels there were altered for work on the Terminal 5 link. - 18 May 2006: The first A380 test flight into Heathrow took place.
- 21 April 2007: A new 87 metres (285 ft) high £50 million air traffic control tower entered service, and was officially opened by Secretary of State for Transport Douglas AlexanderDouglas AlexanderDouglas Garven Alexander is a British Labour Party politician, who is currently the Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in the shadow cabinet of Ed Miliband. He has held cabinet posts under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, including Secretary of State for Scotland and...
on 13 June 2007. The tower was designed by the Richard RogersRichard RogersRichard George Rogers, Baron Rogers of Riverside CH Kt FRIBA FCSD is a British architect noted for his modernist and functionalist designs....
partnership and is the tallest air traffic control tower in the United Kingdom. - November 2007: A consultation process began for building a new third runway and a sixth terminal.
- 14 March 2008: Queen Elizabeth II opened Terminal 5.
- 18 March 2008: Following delays in the A380's production, the first A380 in scheduled passenger service, Singapore Airlines Flight 380 with registration number 9V-SKA, touched down from Singapore carrying 470 passengers, marking the first ever European commercial flight by the A380.
- 27 March 2008:: Terminal 5 opened to passengers. Heathrow Terminal 5 stationHeathrow Terminal 5 stationHeathrow Terminal 5 station is a shared railway station at London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 which was opened on 27 March 2008. It was designed by architects HOK International in conjunction with Rogers, Stirk, Harbour & Partners....
opened. - 2008: Terminal 2B started being constructed.
- 2009: The Queen's Building was demolished.
- 15 January 2009: New 3rd runway & 6th terminal controversially approved by UK government ministers.
- 29 October 2009: British Airways vacated Terminal 4 and moved to Terminal 5.
- November 2009: The first stage of building Terminal 2B completed.
- 23 November 2009: The old Terminal 2 closed.
2010s
- 2010: Terminal 5's second satellite building was completed.
- 12 May 2010: New 3rd runway & 6th terminal cancelled by the Government.
- Summer 2010: The old Terminal 2 was demolished.
- October 2010: The second phase of building Terminal 2B started.
- 20 May 2011:: Terminal 5B opened unofficially.
- June 2011: Terminal 5C opened.
- 1 June 2011:: Terminal 5B opened officially.
Plans for future
- 2012: Terminal 2 completed.
- 2013 or 2014: Terminal 1 closes to allow construction of second phase of new Terminal 2
- 2014: First phase of new Terminal 2 opens.
- 2019: Second phase of the new Terminal 2 complete.