About Heathrow Airport

Heathrow is the world's busiest international airport. It's regarded as the hub of the aviation world and as such over 90 airlines have made Heathrow their base.

There are around 63 million passengers passing through Heathrow Airport every year. Over 90 airlines fly to approximately 170 destinations from the four terminals. Heathrow Airport has two runways, plus a cross wind runway.

Heathrow Airport is located just 14 miles west of central London and is easily accessible by road from junction 4a of the M4 and junction 14 of the M25. Heathrow also has the Heathrow Express, the non-stop train between Heathrow Airport and central London takes just 15 minutes to and from the airport. In addition the Piccadilly London Underground train run to all four terminals.

A Brief History of Heathrow

Heathrow aviation history began during the first world war, when the army began using nearby Hounslow Heath as a training aerodrome for the Royal Flying Corps and continued to do so until 1919.

Although Croyden Airport was becoming London's primary civil aviation facility in the 1920's, by the time of the Second World War the Heathrow location was considered to be preferable alternative. After 52 other locations were considered before the location was chosen in 1943.

Heathrow airport officially opened on 31 May 1946 with the first aircraft arrival of a BOAC Lancastrian from Australia.

During the early days at Heathrow, the airport was far from the 'city' it is today instead passengers were processed in a temporary tent village. As traffic grew the tents were replaced by ex-military pre-fabricated concrete buildings.

The Milbourn Committee, established to plan the airport's expansion, decided in mid 1957 to construct a long haul terminal, a second short haul facility and cargo terminal in the southwest corner of the airport. In 1966 a separate body known as the British Airports Authority was set up to manage Heathow and other airports in the country. The organisation continued to be government owned until privatisation as BAA plc in 1987.

In 1976, Heathrow went supersonic with the arrival of regular flights Concorde operated by British Airways and Air France. On 1st April 1986 the Prince and Princess of Wales visited the airport to open the new £200 million terminal 4 building. The new terminal featured many pioneering new features including noise reduction facilities.

Throughout the 1990's BAA invested continuously in Heathrow's infrastructure, spending about £1 million a day. Construction on a new fifth terminal began in 2002 after a public enquiry lasting three years and 10 months, the longest in British history. When fully complete in 2011, Terminal 5 will have the capacity to handle 30 million passengers a year.