HEATHROW
 

The following link is to the Guardian on line and concerns the Govt's appeal against the recent decision. It would appear that various departments could be battling against oneanother. Stormy times for Tony !<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0%2C3604%2C628822%2C00.html" target="_blank">Guardian on line</a> <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

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”

Another piece of history gone.... Yes I know it's God awful but hey! That's progress.

"Heathrow East"
 

So BAA plan to demolish T2 at LHR and replace it:


Press release

and a Picture

Wither T1 and T3?!

Was trawling the net and found this :-

London] Heathrow has been described as the only building site to have its own airport.

— anon.



Brilliant !!!!!

HEATHROW
 

Just read on BBC website
T5 Builders to go on strike re pay

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4487418.stm

G-I-B

BAA and oneworld reach agreement on Heathrow Airport terminal 3
 

The member airlines of the oneworld airline alliance and BAA have signed an agreement which will see the airlines other than BA transfer to Heathrow Airport's Terminal 3 when BA moves in to Terminal 5 in March 2008.

Currently, oneworld carriers - who account for more than 50 percent of Heathrow's traffic with 35 million passengers a year travelling on about 700 departures and arrivals a day - are split across all four of Heathrow's terminals. Under the agreement their operations will be consolidated in an up-graded Terminal 3, which is the closest of the existing terminals to the new Terminal 5. oneworld carriers will share adjacent check-in desks, jetbridges and other facilities in Terminal 3.

BAA Heathrow describes the agreement as a key part of its strategy to co-locate airline alliances. It is currently investing significantly in Terminal 3, the building is undergoing a multi-million pound modernisation program, with a substantial amount planned to be spent on passenger and baggage-related projects during the next seven years.

In addition, the check-in area will be reshaped and expanded to minimise congestion, make it easier for passengers to find their way around and provide more natural light. The latest technology and infrastructure will be incorporated into new baggage systems and other passenger services.

The agreement covers all seven of the existing oneworld member airlines serving Heathrow - British Airways, American Airlines, Qantas, Cathay Pacific Airways, Iberia, Finnair and Aer Lingus. It also makes provision for all three of the carriers currently lining up to join the alliance - Japan Airlines, Malev and Royal Jordanian. The agreement provides for their growth in Terminal 3 as Heathrow's overall capacity expands in the future.

BA will be the only airline housed at the new Terminal 5. The size and shape of its Heathrow schedule in 2008 will mean a small number of its services will be located at Terminal 3. These will include its departures to Australia and Spain, to maximise the cohesion of its joint services with oneworld partners Qantas and Iberia.

source - http://www.uk-airport-news.info/heat...ws-140306a.htm

any word on T4? Is that likely to be Star Alliance partners?

Star at LHR
 

I thought the plan was for Star Alliance to have T1 refurbished, and Sky Team to go into T4.

I've also heard T4 will become Skyteam.
T2 is going to become the balance of the non-alliance airlines I think.

Central area is going to look like a building site until the 2012 Olympics, lets hope they can get it all done in time!

I thought QF were going to T5 with their A380s?

QF have never been going to T5 they were always going to stay in T4 or move to T3. QF Management have no interest in moving there.

LHR has always been a building site and probably always will. I have been in and out of LHR since the late 70's and it has always been a building site. After spending so much on the terminals its a shame the road access is rubbish still, and public transport from anywhere other than towards London is rubbish. (Try getting a bus or train from the south/south west of the airport....)

Only building site in the world with it's own airport......
What's happening with the old control tower, it adds character to the whole place.

Also, I can understand why BA use T1 for the NRT, JNB SFO and LAX services, spare gate capacity at certain times, byt exactly why can they not get a single gate for the MIA services which are in ..... Terminal 3.
Are BOAC homesick ? And so when T5 opens, the OZ services will be in T3 still ?

Skipness

the T3 service is so BA are on the T3 committee IIRC.

Well, if they're going to that, then to make the QF part of that work properly, BA will have to put all BKK, HKG and SIN services in T3 as well.

Othewise, can you imagine the chaos? "BA11 to SIN will operate from T5, but BA15 to SIN will operate from T3 ..." Hordes of paying punters turning up in the wrong place on a regular basis, which will cost BA money to sort out irrespective of who's fault it technically is.

LHR southside chaos again...
 

Come on BAA, can we get this sorted out??
Long long delays around Heathrow south this morning due to massive queues getting into checkpoints.
Buses delayed trucks held up and junctions blocked solid, whats going on?
This happened a couple of months back and here we go again.

Maybe they shouldn't have failed 57 out of 61 tests on security during the recent audit by the DTI (allegedly, of course!).

Well i know at least 15 teststhat didnt get through so the figures that are alleged must be wrong,

Maybe all the staff that go through come prepared and dont take ages empting pockets and stuff, and stop moaning about it.
This would put less pressure on the guards to try which try to
a) keep the airport safe
b) having to try and cater for the whining that they face,

Trying to help speed up and get people through has back fired and they failed test pieces. so this mean in order to save their own job they have to slow down and watch their backsides. if they fail they are out.

Its a bit like the egg and spoon race if you rush you fail!!

If in doubt have it out is a good way of seeing it.

P.s i would agree however that there isnt enough checkpoints / guards.

This is due to the managment not the individual gaurds.!!

Hope everyone gets the idea, and please excuse the spelling mistakes it late.

BAA / HAL need to pull their finger out and sort this pronto - it is their fault that their staff haven't been doing their jobs properly, hence failing the tests, and BA should be offered some pretty large compensation for the grief their incompetence has caused.

These issues also extend into the terminals, causing flight delays due constant pax offloads and really, really winding up OUR passengers. I've lost count of the number of irate passengers turning up at the gate screaming blue murder because they've just spend 2 hours in a security queue, especially if they've now missed their flight depsite arriving at the airport in plenty of time.

The thing that really p****s me off is that they complain that they don't have enough security lanes in the terminal building, yet have acres of revenue generating shops in the same building - I am becoming increasingly hacked off with their poor levels of customer service in the name of cost.

I'm going to stop writing now cos I'm in danger of going off on a real rant..but next time you walk through the lobby area and down a jetty to board your well maintained flight deck, take a minute to look around at the filth that us ground staff have to work in... :):)