London Heathrow Airport is located in the west of London and handles millions of passengers a year. The large number of passengers has made London Heathrow Airport known as the busiest airport in the UK, the busiest airport in Europe, and the sixth busiest airport in the world. London Heathrow Airport is located in London’s Hillington district and 22 kilometers west of London. This busy airport handles more than 67 million passengers annually.
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Contact Information
- Address: The Compass Centre, Nelson Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW6 2GW
- Contact phone number in the UK: 08443351801
- Contact number outside the UK: 00442033688968
- Official website: https://www.heathrow.com/
London Heathrow Airport Terminals
There are 5 terminals at London Heathrow Airport:
Terminal 1 of London Heathrow Airport
The construction of Terminal 1 of London Heathrow Airport completed in 1968 and it officially opened in May 1969 with the presence of Queen Elizabeth. This terminal is grouped with terminals 2 and 3 in the central building.
In spite of all the renovations and expansion of this terminal done in 2005, they finally closed the terminal on June 29, 2015. Th reason being the expansion of Terminal 2. Flights that usually took off through this terminal are now distributed among other terminals of the airport.
Terminal 2 of London Heathrow Airport
Terminal 2 of London Heathrow Airport opened in 1955 as the Europa Building. This terminal has capacity of 1.2 million passengers per year and is located in the central building of the airport like terminals 1 and 3. The terminal saw several renovations in the early 21st century. In November 2005 they decided to demolish Terminals 1 and 2 to make way for a new terminal.
The Mayor of London and the parliament of the Burke-Hillington district where the airport is located, issued the permission to build the new terminal was issued in 2007 by. The modern and fully equipped terminal opened in 2014 was named Queen’s Terminal.
This new terminal consists of two connected parts, which include a hall 270 meters long and 200 square meters wide (Terminal 2A) with 12 parking spaces and a western satellite terminal 2B with a length of 522 meters and 16 parking spaces. The capacity of the new terminal 2 is 30 million passengers and the flights of Star Alliance, Eurowings airlines, Aer Lingus, and Icelandair take off from this terminal.
Terminal 3 of London Heathrow Airport
Terminal three of London Heathrow Airport opened on November 13, 1961, as the Oceanic Terminal. This terminal was intended for Asian and transatlantic flights. To increase the capacity and expand the terminal space, in 2006, they added the South Pier 6 section to the main building. The flights of American, British, Virgin Atlantic, and Emirates airlines take off from this terminal. In addition, many flights of Finnair, Qantas, Japanese, and Sri Lankan airlines are also made from terminal 3.
Terminal 4 of London Heathrow Airport
Terminal 4 is located in the southern part of the airport and in front of the cargo center. The terminal opened on April 1, 1986, by the Prince and Princess of Wales, Charles, and Diana. Since 2008, Aeroflot, Air France, KLM, and Delta airlines have been using this terminal for domestic European, and international flights. With the addition of two new Airbus A320 parking bays to Terminal 4, the terminal’s exterior space has been greatly expanded. The terminal currently has a capacity of 9.2 passengers per year.
Terminal 5 of London Heathrow Airport
The construction of Terminal 5 of London Heathrow Airport started in 2002. The terminal opened on March 14, 2008, by Queen Elizabeth. After two weeks, the flights in this terminal started. It might be interesting for you to know that the designer and architect of this terminal is Richard Ruger; He designed the Georges-Pompidou Center in Paris, Lloyd’s Command Center, and The O2.
Terminal 5 of London Heathrow Airport, 396 meters long and 176 meters wide, is located in the central building of the airport. This terminal is mainly for flights by British airlines.
London Heathrow Airport Amenities and Services
There are ATMs and currency exchange offices in London Heathrow Airport and in all terminals. These facilities provide various monetary and foreign exchange services to passengers.
Restaurants and Coffee Shops
Throughout London Heathrow Airport, there are restaurants, coffee shops, and snack and fast food stores. These places serve a variety of food and drinks. For example, you can eat caviar and a variety of seafood at the restaurant managed by Gordon Ramsay, a famous international chef. This restaurant is located in Terminal 5 of Heathrow Airport.
Shops
There are various stores inside London Heathrow Airport and in different terminals. People who are traveling outside the European Union can buy a variety of products and goods in duty-free shops. Electronics stores, clothing boutiques, and different brands also offer the latest London fashion clothes to travelers.
Parking
In the parking area and inside the airport, special services are available for handicapped passengers. Passengers who need a wheelchair should coordinate with their airline before traveling. At London Heathrow Airport, there are seats and restrooms for the handicapped, text phones for the hard of hearing, and also parking spaces available for people with a disability. This provides all passengers with comfort and convenience.
Transit Visa
London Heathrow airport is one of the busiest and most crowded airports in the world. Almost a third of the passengers, choose London Heathrow airport as a transit airport. As a result, Transit Visa is available at the airport as a service
International travelers in different countries may, for a variety of reasons, choose multiple flights with different time intervals to reach their main destination. A visa that is provided for legal landing in a country with the intention of flying to another destination is a transit visa.
Other Services
Other comfort services of London Heathrow Airport include an art gallery in Terminal 3, bathrooms equipped with showers in Terminals 3 and 4 after the airport security control, and pharmacies in all terminals. London Heathrow Airport is one of the most reliable and well-equipped airports in the world. Famous airlines all around the globe have numerous flights to this airport.
Access to London Heathrow Airport
The London underground is one of the oldest subways in the world. This amazing public transportation system covers almost the entire surface of the city and its districts. Therefore, one of the safest ways to go to the city center from the airport is to use the Piccadilly line or the Heathrow Express train. Using the high-speed train is the best option for people who don’t have much time, but it will cost more than the subway.
In the outer area of the Heathrow airport terminals, there are also various buses to different destinations, including the hotel near the airport. If you plan to go to other parts of London, taking a taxi is usually the best option.
History of London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport is currently the world’s hub of aviation. In 1930, a British aeronautical engineer and aircraft manufacturer named Richard Fairey bought a 150-acre plot of land for £15,000 to build a private airfield. He intended to use this airfield for the assembly and testing of aircraft. Fairey’s Great West Aerodrome was hastily built with a grass runway and a few buildings.
During World War II, the British government requested land within Heathrow and near Fairey Airport. Their intention was to build a base for long-range troop-carrying aircraft bound for the Middle East.
After the end of the war, on January 1, 1946, the RAF was officially handed over to the Air Ministry as the new London Airport. Its first Starlight bomber flew from Heathrow Airport to Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina.
At that time, military tents turned into passenger terminals. The terminals were quite basic and equipped with flowered and ordinary seats.
London’s Heathrow Airport handled approximately 63,000 passengers during its first year of operation. This number increased to 796,000 in 1951, which prompted the airport authorities to hire an architect to design permanent buildings.
Terminal 1, which opened in 1969, was able to transport five million passengers with Boeing 707 and VC10 from Heathrow Airport to all parts of the world.
In 2006, London Heathrow Airport celebrated its 60th anniversary and announced that it was able to handle 1.4 billion passengers with 14 million flights to different parts of the world and has continued to grow ever since.
Final Word
London Heathrow Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world. Every day a significant number of international and intracontinental European travel tickets sell directly or online from the portals dedicated to this colossal international airport.
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London Heathrow Airport is the busiest airport in the UK that handles millions of passengers through its gates every year