LHR Terminal 2 / Heathrow East
Just seen following on Yahoo - apologies if posted elsewhere:
A £1.5 billion plan to demolish Terminal 2 at Heathrow airport and build a new terminal in time for the 2012 Olympics has been outlined by airport operator BAA.
Work on the new terminal could start by 2009 and the terminal would be capable of handling 30 million passengers a year.
Designed to complement the new £4.2 billion Terminal 5 at Heathrow, the new terminal could be used by Sir Richard Branson's airline Virgin Atlantic as well as by members of the airline group Star Allianincludes British carrier bmi, Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines.
Known as Heathrow East, the BAA plan will be for the demolition of Terminal 2 and the adjacent Queen's Building office block, with the new terminal being built on the site and spreading to the east.
BAA stressed that the plan would not involve any net increase in passenger capacity.
BAA intends to discuss the idea formally with airlines to assess the viability of the project. The plan would also be dependent on regulatory support from the Civil Aviation Authority.
If all goes well, a planning application could be submitted in 2007, permission granted in 2008, work started in 2009 and the terminal completed in time for the 2012 Olympics.
Terminal 5 is due to open in 2008, with British Airways moving its entire operation there. It will be capable of handling more than 30 million passengers a year.
BAA Heathrow managing director Mick Temple said: "The significant increase in capacity created by Terminal 5 gives us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to look at the rest of Heathrow and think creatively about how we can use our current very limited space better.
"We are excited by the idea of Heathrow East, but at the moment it is still just an idea. We aim to discuss the possibilities with our airlines and the CAA to see if we can make it a reality. Our vision is to create the world's greatest international hub airport in the world's greatest city”