Rebuilding Heathrow
Building a better journey
Since 1955 Heathrow has been connecting people from around the globe, making us the world’s busiest international airport. Today, we are taking a fresh look at all our terminals to improve your journey by investing £1 billion each year for the next five years.
You can already experience the difference this investment has made with a quicker arrival, smoother departure and a more enjoyable time spent connecting. Behind the scenes, we are also improving the journey of your luggage by investing £900 million to create the world's largest integrated baggage system. While this work is ongoing we are committed to ensuring any impact to your journey is minimised and our airport will continue to operate as normal.
We look forward to welcoming to you Heathrow soon so you can see the difference for yourself.
Terminal 1
Next time you fly from Terminal 1, you will notice we have opened up the check-in area to reveal a brighter and more spacious facility for using self-service check-in technology or dropping off your bags.
On your arrival back to Heathrow at Terminal 1, you will notice the passport control and baggage reclaim spaces have been given a more contemporary feel as you pass through to our arrivals hall.
Some £60 million has been invested in improving your journey through Terminal 1. We also have plans to replace the building completely around 2019 and until then our team are proud to welcome you to their terminal, home of the Star Alliance.
Terminal 2
After more than 60 years of operation, Terminal 2 has been demolished and will be replaced with a brand new building. The new terminal will be the eventual home of the Star Alliance, offering extraordinary runway views and brand new accommodation for new-generation aircraft.
On check-in you will have access to the latest in self-service technology and fast bag drops, getting your journey off to a smooth start.
Our newest departure lounge will be a bright and modern space, with ten-metre high windows and north-facing skylights. You can relax and enjoy the natural light in this space as the terminal produces less carbon and benefits from the inbuilt solar panels.
While this new terminal will not increase the capacity of our airport or provide or lead to additional flights, we are excited about the construction of this new facility, which will provide the latest in airport technology. In the busy centre of Heathrow, this brand new terminal will be commissioned and built in sections with separate power supplies. Following the successful technique used on Terminal 5, this facility will be developed off-site, overcoming many of the logistical constraints of building within the world's busiest international airport.
When complete, the new terminal will encompass a floor space of 185,000m2 covering the sites of both Terminal 2 and the Queens Building. The finished building will be extended into the existing Terminal 1 site in phases, allowing us to welcome 30 million passengers each year to the terminal.
Terminal 3
Each year we welcome around 18.9 million passengers to Terminal 3. We know how important a smooth arrival and departure is to your journey and we have invested £106 million to improve your Terminal 3 experience.
A new landscaped forecourt and check-in extension was unveiled in 2007 and you will experience the difference yourself in Zone A of the terminal. Next time you fly from Terminal 3, you can also take advantage of one of the brand new self-service kiosks and a contemporary check-in area.
Our commitment to improving your journey through Terminal 3 extends to the security search areas, which are being developed to become the largest at Heathrow. You can also expect your arrival back to Heathrow to be smoother following a £22 million investment in the passport control and baggage reclaim spaces.
Terminal 4
Passengers who regularly travel from Terminal 4 will have noticed that the building has undergone a significant transformation following a recent investment of £100 million. From the moment you approach the terminal by car, you will notice a brand new façade has been installed, creating a light and modern welcome for our visitors.
If you fly from Terminal 4 in the evening, take time to enjoy the translucent canopy outside the check-in area with specially designed lighting. Your check-in has also been upgraded for you with 6,000m2 of space and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Terminal 4 is now home to 45 airlines, and has a new, fresh look in the security screening area and new accommodation for A380 aircraft. Our work on Terminal 4 is not yet complete. Next time you fly with us you may notice work being carried out in the connections and passport control areas – just another way we're working to make your journey better.
Terminal 5
We are committed to making the journey for our Terminal 5 passengers even better with the recent introduction of an extension to the facility. This new satellite building provides an additional 12 aircraft piers for Terminal 5, minimising the time you spend transferring to and from your flight and taxiing to the runway.
With large-scale glass panels overlooking the Heathrow's runways, you can enjoy spectacular views of the airport as well as speedy connections through to the rest of Terminal 5 using our underground Track Transit System (TTS). We are confident that this latest addition to Terminal 5's development will make your travel experience even smoother.
