Do we know if the A350 noise trials at LHR next month are a
PR exercise to prove to people in Hounslow that they needn't fear a new runway, or is it purely technical in nature?
Probably a bit of both, but it's the vocal whingers who live miles away from the airport that need convincing. Trouble is that they will never be persuaded, even by hard evidence.
In the former case, it's a pity there are no VC-10s left to provide a contrast. Maybe a Tornado could do the job.
Ha ha, like it.
BMI would have taken the space of VSLR and EI (although where EI would have gone is beyond me...possibly T5 to feed into BA as they wouldn't have started BHD/DUB again). T2 was designed with BMI in mind which is why it even has the domestic and Irish arrival facilities.
VS only took a tiny of bit the former BD operation which remained substantial even after cannibalisation by LH between 2009 and 2012. As you state, LHR-2 was designed with BD as the "anchor" tenant and it was planned to have EI in there as well (to share the common travel area arrivals facility). When the rebuilding of LHR-1/2 was planned there was no indication that BA would return to LHR-DUB.
I suppose FI is fairly easy to squeeze in at this stage of the T2 development and maybe it has something to do with who most of their interlining passengers are flying with. AI will presumably follow at some point (2016?) and then some more non-aligned airlines from T3 when that gets knocked down, as is planned I believe, albeit some way off.
In a few years time it will be a completely rebuilt LHR-1/2 and it will be much bigger. It is also possible that some Oneworld carriers will find themselves there at some stage, once LHR-3 is demolished.