UK’s busiest airport has a massive terminal – that passengers can’t use
THE busiest airport in the UK has a massive passenger terminal – that holidaymakers can’t actually use.
London Heathrow passengers may have realised there there are five terminals, but no access to T1.
This is because it was replaced by T2, called The Queen‘s Terminal, which opened in 2014, primarily for short-haul flights.
T1 opened in 1968 to passengers, followed by a formal opening by Queen Elizabeth II in 1969.
The record-breaking terminal was the largest of its kind when it opened, being the biggest short-haul terminal in Western Europe.
It was then massively redeveloped in 2005, doubling the size of the lounge.
However, the terminal closed in 2015, while Terminal 2 was being expanded.
Most airlines were diverted to other terminals, with the last to leave being British Airways.
It has since never reopened to passengers, now being left empty and mainly used for training and baggage.
The London Heathrow website explains: “A number of emergency service teams, such as the London Fire Brigade, the Ambulance Service, and the Met Police, use various areas in the building for training sessions.
“[But] the main functionality of Terminal 1, however, is to house the baggage system for Terminal 2.
“All of the baggage teams stayed in Terminal 1 as their main base, and all of the bags that are checked into Terminal 2 are processed in the T1 building.
“Any disrupted bags that get processed are bought to the ‘purge area’, which is the old international reclaim hall in Terminal 1, and stored there until they are cleared.”
The terminal could one day be demolished, the airport also said.
It added: “There may be future plans to one day get rid of the building in its entirety to make space for the further expansion of Terminal 2.”
In the mean time, there are four terminal passengers can use at London Heathrow Airport.
Terminal 3 opened as the Oceanic Terminal, launching in 1961 for long-haul flights to the US and Asia and was home to the UK’s first moving walkway.
This was followed by Terminal 4 in 1986, with the majority of flights to the Middle East and North Africa.
And the £4.3billion Terminal 5 opened in 2008, also opened by Queen Elizabeth II and is only used by British Airways.
London Heathrow welcomed 61.6million passengers last year, making it the biggest and busiest in the UK.
The airport has put forward a number of expansion plans, including a third runway and extra infrastructure with estimated costs in the billions.
Elsewhere in the UK, Bristol Airport once flew to New York.
London Heathrow timeline
- Terminal 1: Opened on 25 April 1969. Terminal 1 was later closed on 29 June 2015 to make way for the expansion of Terminal 2.
- Terminal 2 (original): Opened on 1 May 1955. The original Terminal 2, also known as the Europa Building, was closed on 23 November 2009 and subsequently demolished to make way for a new Terminal 2.
- Terminal 2 (new): The new Terminal 2, also known as The Queen’s Terminal, opened on 4 June 2014.
- Terminal 3: Opened on 13 November 1961. Initially known as the Oceanic Terminal, it was renamed Terminal 3 in 1968.
- Terminal 4: Opened on 1 April 1986. Terminal 4 is located to the south of the southern runway, away from the other terminals.
- Terminal 5: Opened on 27 March 2008. Terminal 5 is located to the west of the central terminal area and is the newest of Heathrow’s terminals.
Sadly this hasn’t been the case for 10 years with the majority of flights now being short-haul.
And we were one of the first to try our Manchester Airport’s new private terminal – here’s our verdict.