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"Heathrow" and "LHR" redirect here. For other uses, see Heathrow (disambiguation) and LHR (disambiguation).
| London Heathrow Airport
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| IATA: LHR – ICAO: EGLL | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Owner | BAA | ||
| Location | London | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 83 ft / 25 m | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Website | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| m | ft | ||
| 09L/27R | 3,902 | 12,802 | Grooved Asphalt |
| 09R/27L | 3,658 | 12,001 | Grooved Asphalt |
| Statistics (2007) | |||
| Aircraft Movements | 481,476 | ||
| Passengers | 68,066,028 | ||
| Statistics from the UK CAAAircraft Movements, Terminal and Transit Passengers | |||
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow (IATA: LHR, ICAO: EGLL) is the principal airport for London, England. The United Kingdom\'s biggest airport, Heathrow is also Europe\'s busiest airport for passenger traffic, and handles more international passenger traffic than any other airport in the world.Busiest Airports - The Busiest Airports in the World Heathrow is owned and operated by BAA,BAA plc, "UK Airports" which is itself owned by an international consortium led by the Spanish Ferrovial Group,BAA plc, "Who owns us?" and is the primary hub of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways and a major hub for bmi.
Located 15 miles (24 km) west of Central London, England, Heathrow has two parallel main runways running east-west and four terminals. Terminal 5 is under construction and is scheduled to open on 27 March 2008. Construction of Heathrow East to replace Terminal 2 and The Queens Building is planned to start in 2008 and be completed by 2012, and Terminals 3 and 4 will be refurbished during this period.BAA Terminal 5: Heathrow East In November 2007 a consultation process began for the building of a new third runway.
Heathrow Airport has a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P527) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction.CAA Aerodrome Licence
Contents |
Heathrow
The location of Heathrow airport within Greater London
Heathrow is located 15 miles (24 km) west of Central London, England, near the southern end of the London Borough of Hillingdon. The airport stands on a parcel of land that was designated part of the London Metropolitan Green Belt. To the north, the airport is surrounded by the built-up areas of Harlington, Harmondsworth, Longford and Cranford. To the east are Hounslow and Hatton, and to the south are East Bedfont and Stanwell. To the west, the M25 motorway separates the airport from Colnbrook in Berkshire.
Qantas Boeing 747-400 descending near London Heathrow Airport
The location of the airport to the west of London, and the east-west orientation of its runways, means that airliners usually approach to land directly over the city. Other leading European airports such as those at Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris were located north or south of their cities to minimise the overflying problem.
Another disadvantage of the site is that it is low lying, at 83 feet (25 m) above sea level, and so is prone to fog.[citation needed]
Heathrow is one of two international London airports to be located within the boundary of the Greater London Area, the other being London City Airport.
Aviation at the location of what is now Heathrow Airport began during World War I when the site was used as a military airfield. By the 1930s the airfield, then known as the Great Western Aerodrome, was privately owned by Fairey Aviation and was used for aircraft assembly and testing.John Arlidge (June 3, 2007). Heathrow\'s Terminal 5 velocity. The Times. Retrieved on 2007-06-14. Commercial traffic used Croydon Airport which was London\'s main airport at the time.
In 1943 Heathrow came under the control of the Ministry of Air to be developed as a Royal Air Force transfer base. Harold Balfour (later Lord Balfour), then Under-Secretary of State for Air (1938-1944), wrote in his 1973 autobiography Wings over Westminster, that he deliberately deceived the government committee that a requisition was necessary in order that Heathrow could be used as a base for long-range transport aircraft in support of the war with Japan. In fact, Balfour wrote that he always intended the site to be used for civil aviation and used a wartime emergency requisition order to avoid a lengthy and costly public inquiry. Construction of runways began in 1944 on land that was originally acquired from the vicar of Harmondsworth. The new airport was built by Wimpey ConstructionWimpey - The First 100 Years: page 28 and named after the hamlet Heath Row which was demolished to make way for the airport, and was located approximately where Terminal 3 now stands.What\'s In A Name? (HTML). www.thisislongford.com. Retrieved on 2006-08-13.
The Royal Air Force never made use of the airport, and following the end of World War II control was transferred to the Ministry of Civil Aviation on 1 January 1946. The first civil flight that day was to Buenos Aires, via Lisbon for refuelling. The airport opened fully for civilian use on 31 May 1946 and by 1947 Heathrow had three runways, with three more under construction. These older runways, built for piston-engined planes, were short and angled to allow for all wind conditions.
In 1953, the first slab of the first modern runway was ceremonially placed by Queen Elizabeth II. She also opened the first permanent terminal building, the Europa Building (now known as Terminal 2), in 1955. On 1 April, 1955, a new 38.8 metre control tower designed by Frederick Gibberd was opened, replacing the original RAF control tower.
Heathrow in the 1960s
The Oceanic Terminal (renamed as Terminal 3 in 1968) opened on 13 November 1961 to handle flight departures for long-haul routes.Heathrow Terminal Three Information At this time the airport had a direct helicopter service from central London and gardens on the roof of the terminal building.British Pathe news reel 31.10 dated June 1955 (www.britishpathe.com) By the time Terminal 1 was opened in 1968, completing the cluster of buildings at the centre of the airport site, Heathrow was handling 14 million passengers annually.
The location of the original terminals in the centre of the site has since become a constraint to expansion. The decision to locate them here reflected an early assumption that airline passengers would not require extensive car parking, as air travel was then only affordable to the wealthy - who would be chauffeur-driven.[citation needed]
In the late 1960s a 160 acres (0.6 km²) cargo terminal was built to the south of the southern runway, connected to Terminals 1, 2 and 3 by a tunnel.
In 1970 Terminal 3 was expanded with the addition of an arrivals building. Other facilities were also added, including the UK\'s first moving walkways.BAA Heathrow: Our History. BAA. Retrieved on 2007-11-11. Heathrow\'s two main runways were also extended to their current lengths in order to accommodate new large jets such as the Boeing 747.
In 1977, the London Underground was extended to Heathrow; connecting the airport with Central London in just under an hour via the Piccadilly line. On 23 June 1998 the Heathrow Express train was inaugurated, providing a direct rail service to London\'s Paddington station via a specially constructed line between the airport and the Great Western Main Line.
Continued growth in passenger numbers to 30 million annually by the early 1980s led to the need for more terminal space. Terminal 4 was constructed to the south of the southern runway next to the existing cargo terminal, away from the three older terminals, and was connected with Terminals 1, 2 and 3 by the already-existing Heathrow Cargo Tunnel. Terminal 4 was opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales in April 1986, and became the home for then newly-privatised British Airways.
In 1987, the British government privatised the British Airports Authority (now known as "BAA Limited") which controls Heathrow The Economist, The man who bought trouble. Consulted on July 18, 2007. as well as six other UK airports.BAA\'s UK airports Consulted on 23 October, 2007.
During the 1980s and 1990s, since privatisation BAA has expanded the proportion of terminal space allocated to retailing activities and invested in the development of retail activity. This has included expanding terminal areas to provide more shops and restaurants, and routing passengers through shops to maximise their exposure to the retail offer.
At the end of 2005, in light of the heightened global security requirements, Eastchurch Road which formed part of the airport\'s southern/eastern perimeter road was permanently closed. Eastchurch Road linked the southern perimeter road to what is termed the \'Magic roundabout" next to Hatton Cross, and meant that road traffic crossed the access pathway for aircraft accessing the British Airways maintenance facility. At the time of closure, approximately 40 aircraft movement per day were made across the road, facilitated by the use of crossing gates and traffic lights.Minutes of meeting held on 28th September 2005 at Heathrow Point West. HEATHROW AIRPORT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE (28th September 2005). Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
Brinks Mat gold. BBC News.
Concorde G-BOAB in storage at London Heathrow Airport following the end of all Concorde flying. This aircraft flew for 22,296 hours between first flight in 1976 and grounding in 2000. The control tower is in the background.
$3m heist at Heathrow. BBC News.
Wikinews has related news:
Man breaches security at Heathrow
Heathrow is used by over 90 airlines which fly to 170 destinations worldwide (see Airlines and destinations below). The airport is the primary hub of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways and a major hub for bmi.
Of Heathrow\'s 67 million annual passengers, 11% travel to UK destinations, 43% are short-haul international travellers, and 46% are long-haul. The busiest single destination in terms of passenger numbers is New York, with over 3.4 million passengers travelling between Heathrow and JFK / Newark airports in 2006. CAA Passenger Route Analysis 2006 The airport has four passenger terminals (Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 4) and a cargo terminal. The fifth passenger terminal, Terminal 5 is expected to open on 27 March 2008,One year deadline for Terminal 5 (HTML). BBC. Retrieved on 2007-03-27. with construction of all satellite buildings completed in 2011.Terminal 5, Heathrow (HTML). BAA Heathrow. Retrieved on 2006-08-13.
The Heathrow Academy
Originally, Heathrow had six runways, arranged in three pairs at different angles, with the passenger terminal in the centre. With growth in the required length for runways, Heathrow now has just two parallel runways running east-west. Runway 23, a short runway for use in strong south-westerly winds, was decommissioned in 2005 and now forms part of a taxiway. The Department for Transport has issued a \'consultation document\' in which one option is the construction of a third parallel east-west runway for frequent use, involving the demolition of residential areas.
Pier 6 of Heathrow\'s Terminal 3 has been modified to accommodate the Airbus A380 jet; in addition, Terminal Five will be fully compatible with the A380 when it opens in March 2008. The first A380 test flight into Heathrow took place on 18 May 2006,Super Jumbo Makes A Flying Visit |Sky News|Home but following delays to the aircraft\'s production, scheduled services are not now expected to start using the airport until 2008. "SIA puts first A380 into commercial service", Flight International, October 24, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-10-28.
A new 87 metres (285 ft) high £50 million air traffic control tower entered service on 21 April 2007, and was officially opened on 13 June 2007 by Secretary of State for Transport Douglas Alexander.
Departures area in Terminal 3
Heathrow Airport has Anglican, Catholic, Free Church, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu and Jewish Chaplains. There is a multi-faith prayer room and counselling room in each terminal, in addition to St. George\'s Interdenominational Chapel which is located in an underground bunker adjacent to the old Control Tower, where Christian services take place. The chaplains organise and lead prayers at certain times in the prayer room. There is an Anglican Service every Tuesday and Wednesday, daily Catholic Mass and Free Church prayers in the Chapel.Heathrow\'s facilities were designed to accommodate either 45 or 55 million passengers annually according to BAA (55 million the figure presented to the T5 Inquiry, 45 million the figure used for the consultation into the 3rd runway). With numbers now approaching 70 million and runway utilisation averaging 98%, it is difficult for existing airlines to obtain landing slots to enable them to increase their services from the airport, or for new airlines to start operations.Airport CoOrdination Ltd (February 2002). "Submission to the CAA Regarding Peak Periods at Heathrow". Retrieved on 2008-01-13. For the same reason the airport has become crowded and subject to delays, for which it has been criticised in recent years "BA boss joins attack on Heathrow", BBC, August 1, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. and in 2007 the airport was voted the world\'s least favourite alongside Chicago O\'Hare in a TripAdvisor survey."Heathrow voted world\'s least favourite airport", The Daily Telegraph, October 30, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-10-30.
Aircraft destined for Heathrow usually enter its airspace via one of four main \'reporting points\': Bovingdon (BNN) over Hertfordshire, Lambourne (LAM) over Essex, Biggin Hill (BIG) over Bromley and Ockham (OCK) over Surrey."Landing at Heathrow", BBC, 18 January 2008. Retrieved on 2008-01-20. Each is defined by a VOR radio-navigational beacon. When the airport is busy, aircraft will orbit in the associated holds. These reporting points/holds lie respectively to the north-west, north-east, south-east and south-west of the London conurbation.
Air traffic controllers at Heathrow Approach Control (based in Swanwick, Hampshire) then guide the aircraft to their final approach, merging aircraft from the four holds into a single stream of traffic, sometimes as close as 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km) apart. Considerable use is made of continuous descent approach techniques to minimise the environmental effects of incoming aircraft, particularly at night.BAA Heathrow (2004/05). "Flight Evaluation Report 2004/05". Retrieved on 2007-11-02. Once an aircraft is established on its final approach, control is handed over to Heathrow Tower.
Because aircraft generate significantly more noise on departure than when landing, there is a preference for "westerly operations" during daytime operations.In westerly operations, aircraft continue to operate in a westerly direction with up to a 5-knot (9.3 km/h) easterly tailwind. In this mode aircraft depart towards the west and approach from the east over London, thereby minimising the noise impact to the most densely populated areas. Heathrow\'s two runways generally operate in \'segregated mode\' whereby arriving aircraft are allocated to one runway and departing aircraft to the other. To further reduce noise nuisance to people beneath the approach and departure routes, the use of runways 27R and 27L is swapped at 3 pm each day, when the wind is from the west. When easterly landings are in progress there is no alternation; 09L remains the landing runway and 09R the departure runway due to the Cranford protocol. Occasionally landings are allowed on the nominated departure runway, to help reduce airborne delays and to position landing aircraft closer to their terminal, thus reducing taxi times.
Night-time flights at Heathrow are subject to restrictions. Between 11.00 p.m. and 7.00 a.m. the noisiest aircraft (rated QC/8 and QC/16) cannot be scheduled to operate at all. In addition, between 11.30 p.m. and 6.00 a.m. (the night quota period) there are three limits:
Policing of the airport is the responsibility of the aviation security unit of the Metropolitan Police, however the army, including armoured vehicles of the Household Cavalry, has occasionally been deployed to the airport during periods of heightened security. Heathrow\'s reputation for thefts has led to it sometimes being referred to as \'Thiefrow\'.France, Anthony. "Exposed: Scandal Of Heathrow Security", Evening Standard, 2001-04-26. Retrieved on 2006-08-13.
On 6 November 2006 new security measures came into effect for all passengers departing from UK airports: UK Department for Transport
As BAA owns London\'s three major airportsHeathrow, Gatwick and Stansted and therefore has a monopolistic position, the amount it is allowed to charge airlines to land aeroplanes at Heathrow is heavily regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority. Until 1 April 2003, the annual increase of the cost of landing per passenger was capped at inflation minus 3%. This has meant that landing charges have been falling in absolute terms. The average landing cost per passenger in April 2003 was £6.13, similar to landing charges at Gatwick and Stansted. In order to reflect the fact that Heathrow, as an international hub, is more popular with passengers and airlines, the CAA agreed that BAA will be allowed to increase landing charges at Heathrow by inflation plus 6.5% per year for the next five years. When Terminal 5 opens in 2008, landing charges are expected to be £8.23 per passenger. Landing fee restrictions at Gatwick and Stansted will remain tighter.
American Airlines Boeing 777 landing at Heathrow
In addition, air traffic between Heathrow and the United States is strictly governed by the countries\' bilateral Bermuda II treaty. The treaty originally allowed only British Airways, Pan Am, and TWA to fly from Heathrow to the US. In 1991 PAA and TWA sold their rights to United Airlines and American Airlines respectively, and Virgin Atlantic Airways was added to the list of airlines allowed to operate on these routes. In 2002, American Airlines and British Airways announced plans to coordinate the scheduling of their trans-Atlantic routes but plans were dropped after the United States Department of Transportation made approval conditional on the granting of further access slots to Heathrow to other US airlines. American Airlines and British Airways considered the slots too valuable and dropped the plans.American, BA drop alliance plans - Jan. 25, 2002 The Bermuda bilateral agreement conflicts with the Right of Establishment of the United Kingdom in terms of its membership in the EU, and as a consequence the UK was ordered to drop the agreement in 2004. A new "open skies" agreement was signed by the United States and the European Union on 30 April 2007, and will come into effect on 30 March 2008.
Whilst the cost of landing at Heathrow is determined by the CAA and BAA, the allocation of landing slots to airlines is carried out by Airport Co-ordination Limited (ACL).
Queue of aircraft for take-off including jets from Virgin Atlantic Airways, British Airways, Air India, and bmi
The operator of Heathrow, BAA, claims that Heathrow is the "world\'s busiest international airport",BAA Heathrow Home Page. BAA. Retrieved on 2007-11-24. but Heathrow is only the world\'s third-busiest airport by total passenger traffic, after Atlanta-Hartsfield-Jackson and Chicago O\'Hare, which are also international airports. However, Heathrow has the highest number of international passengers.
In 2006 Heathrow was the busiest airport in Europe in terms of total passenger traffic (18.8% more passengers than at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and 27.9% more than at Frankfurt International Airport),Passenger Traffic 2006 FINAL. Airports Council International. Retrieved on 2007-08-09. but it was third behind Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt in terms of plane movements (11.9% fewer landings and take offs than at Charles de Gaulle, and 2.5% fewer than at Frankfurt).Traffic Movements 2006 FINAL. Airports Council International. Retrieved on 2007-08-09. Heathrow airport was fourth in terms of cargo traffic (36.9% less cargo than at Charles de Gaulle, 36.8% less than at Frankfurt, and 14.2% less than at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport).Cargo Traffic 2006 FINAL. Airports Council International. Retrieved on 2007-08-09.
With only two runways operating at over 98% of their capacity, Heathrow has little room for growth. In order to increase traffic, BAA has proposed using the existing two runways in \'mixed mode\' whereby aircraft would be allowed to take-off and land on the same runway.BAA Heathrow: Mixed mode. BAA. Retrieved on 2007-11-11. This would increase the airport\'s capacity from its current 480,000 movements per year to as many as 550,000 according to British Airways CEO Willie Walsh.BA pushes for \'mixed mode\' at Heathrow : Heathrow Airport News Stories BAA has also proposed to build a third runway to the north of the airport, which would significantly increase traffic capacity (see Third Runway and Terminal 6 below).Heathrow is defeated in its attempt to ban environmental campaigners. The Times (August 7, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-08-09.
In the short term the opening of Terminal 5 in 2008 will relieve pressure on terminal facilities, allowing modest growth from the use of larger aircraft such as the Airbus A380. However with passenger traffic at Charles de Gaulle growing by 5.8% to 59.3 million during the 12 months to September 2007, compared with Heathrow\'s fall of 0.4% to 67.6 million during the same period,Passenger Traffic for past 12 months. Airports Council International. Retrieved on 2007-08-09. it is likely that CDG ---- with its four runways operating at only 73.5% capacity ---- will overtake Heathrow by 2010.Vulnerable to foreign competition. BAA. Retrieved on 2007-08-09.
Heathrow Express train at Paddington station
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Heathrow is accessible via the nearby M4 motorway and A4 road (Terminals 1–3), the M25 motorway (Terminals 4 and 5), and the A30 road (Terminal 4). There are drop off and pick up areas at all terminals and short and long stay multi-storey car parks. Additionally, there are car parks (not run by BAA) just outside the airport, these are connected to the terminals by shuttle buses. Heathrow airport is also served by taxi services.
Four parallel tunnels under one of the runways connect the M4 motorway and the A4 road to Terminals 1–3. The two larger tunnels are each 2 lanes wide and are used for motorised traffic. The two smaller tunnels were originally reserved for pedestrians and bicycles; to increase traffic capacity the cycle lanes have been modified to each take a single lane of cars, although bicycles still have priority over cars. Pedestrian access to the smaller tunnels has been discontinued, with the free bus services being the alternative.
There are (mainly off-road) bicycle routes almost to the terminals. Free bicycle parking places are available in car parks 1 and 1A, though use of the left-luggage services may be more secure. Free specialist maps showing cycle routes are published by Transport for London - \'London Cycling Guide 6\' covers Terminals 1, 2 & 3 while \'London Cycling Guide 9\' covers Terminal 4 (as of the June 2007 revision).
One coach on each Heathrow Connect train has an area reserved for wheelchairs and bicycles (wheelchairs have priority). Heathrow Express trains have space for 3 bicycles. There are rush-hour restrictions: unfolded bicycles are not allowed on trains due to arrive at Paddington between 07:45 and 09:45, or departing between 16:30 and 18:30, Monday to Friday.
If luggage and conditions permit, it is very much cheaper (about one third the price) to travel by train between Paddington and Hayes & Harlington and then cycle the remaining two miles (3 km).
The possibility of a fifth terminal at Heathrow emerged as early as 1982, when there was debate over whether the expansion of Stansted or the expansion of Heathrow (advocated by BA) was the way forward for the UK aviation industry.Donne, Michael. "The battle of Heathrow", Financial Times, 1982-01-12, p. 16. Retrieved on 2007-04-05. Richard Rogers was selected to design the terminal in 1989 and BAA formally announced its proposal for T5 in May 1992, submitting a formal planning application on 17 February 1993.Fagan, Mary. "BAA presses on with Heathrow fifth terminal", The Independent, Newspaper Publishing, 1992-05-13, p. 5. Retrieved on 2007-04-05. Bray, Roger. "Plans are ready for huge fifth Heathrow terminal", Evening Standard, Associated Newspapers, 1993-02-17, p. 5. Retrieved on 2007-04-05. A public inquiry into the proposals began on 16 May 1995 and lasted nearly four years, finally ending after 525 days on 17 March 1999.The inquiry, based at the Renaissance Hotel Heathrow, was the longest planning inquiry ever held in the UK. Heathrow Terminal 5 Inquiry. Retrieved on 2007-11-02. Finally on 20 November 2001, more than eight years after the initial planning application, then-transport minister Stephen Byers announced the British government\'s decision to grant planning permission for the building of a fifth passenger terminal at Heathrow.
Terminal 5 under construction in July 2006.
The new terminal is being constructed on the western side of the airport, between the northern and southern runways. In addition to the main terminal building, Terminal 5 also has two satellite buildings linked to the main terminal by an underground people mover. The first satellite, Concourse B, will include dedicated aircraft stands for the new Airbus A380; Concourse C, will not open until 2010. In total T5 will have 60 aircraft stands, and be connected to Terminals 1, 2 and 3 by the Heathrow Airside Road Tunnel.BAA Terminal 5: Project Overview It will cater for 30 million passengers, and £4bn will have been spent and over 80,000 people will have worked on the project. It will enable Heathrow to handle up to 90 million passengers a year, up from its current figure of 68 million (compared with a design capacity of 45 million). In 2005, T5 was the largest construction project in Europe — expenditure peaked at £12m per week. None of the cost comes from the taxpayer.
The terminal buildings have been designed by Richard Rogers Partnership and the lead project architects are Pascall and Watson, who specialise in airports and transport facilities. The four storeys of the main terminal building (Concourse A) are covered by a single-span undulating steel frame roof, stretching 90 metres (295 ft) from east to west. Departing passengers will enter Departures level (on the 3rd floor) after taking one of the lifts or escalators from the interchange plaza. Upon entering the Departures concourse, passengers will see views across the Heathrow area and be in a space that is unobstructed to the rising roof above. After check-in and ticket presentation, the airside lounges will provide views across the tarmac and the runways beyond. There will be an abundance of retail and food outlets.
The transport network around Heathrow is being extended to cope with an increased number of passengers. A motorway spur has been built from the
