Heathrow Airport's Massive Scale: A London Landmark

London Heathrow Airport is the largest airport in London and the busiest airport in the UK. It is also the busiest airport in Europe and the fourth busiest in the world by passenger traffic. Heathrow Airport covers 1,227 hectares or 12.3 square kilometres. It is located 14 miles (23 kilometres) west of Central London and is entirely within the boundaries of the London Borough of Hillingdon. The airport has two runways and four operational terminal buildings.

Heathrow's terminals

Heathrow Airport is the largest and busiest airport in the UK, and the fourth busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic. It has four passenger terminals and one cargo terminal.

Terminal 2, also known as the Queen's Terminal, was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 2014. It measures 40,000 square metres and was designed to be sustainable, with 124 solar panels on the roof. In 2018, Terminal 2 became the first terminal to run on green gas. In 2021, 6.1 million passengers travelled through Terminal 2 on 65,839 flights.

Terminal 3, originally named the Oceanic Terminal, opened in 1961. It housed the UK's first moving walkways. It now measures 98,962 square metres and in 2021, 2.8 million passengers travelled through the terminal on 28,288 flights.

Terminal 4 opened in 1986 and was inaugurated by Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Measuring 105,481 square metres, it was originally the home of British Airways before they moved most of their operations to Terminal 5. In 2021, 0.002 million passengers travelled through Terminal 4 on 513 flights.

Terminal 5 opened in 2008 and was inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II. More than 60,000 people were involved in building it. The terminal measures 353,020 square metres, the same size as 50 football pitches. In 2021, 10.5 million passengers travelled through Terminal 5 on 92,925 flights.

Heathrow's runways

Heathrow Airport has two runways: the Northern Runway and the Southern Runway. The Northern Runway measures 3,902 metres by 50 metres, while the Southern Runway is slightly shorter at 3,658 metres by 50 metres.

The runways run parallel to each other in an east-west direction. This means that aircraft landing at Heathrow usually approach over the Greater London Urban Area when the wind has a westerly component, as it often does.

Heathrow's history

Heathrow Airport, officially known as London Heathrow Airport, is the main international airport serving London, the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdom. It is the largest of the six international airports in the London airport system. Heathrow Airport began in 1929 as a small airfield called Great West Aerodrome on land southeast of the hamlet of Heathrow, from which the airport takes its name. At that time, the land consisted of farms, market gardens, and orchards, with a "Heathrow Farm" located approximately where the modern Terminal 2 is situated.

During World War II, the government requisitioned land in and around Heathrow, including the Great West Aerodrome, to build RAF Heston, a base for long-range troop-carrying aircraft bound for the Far East. An RAF-type control tower was constructed, and a "Star of David" pattern of runways was laid, the longest of which was 3,000 yards long and 100 yards wide. Work demolishing Heathrow and clearing land for the runways started in 1944.

After the war ended, the airfield was officially handed over to the Air Ministry as London's new civil airport on 1 January 1946. The airport, known as London Airport at the time, began operating its first commercial flights in March 1946. The early passenger terminals were ex-military marquees that formed a "tented village" along the Bath Road. By the close of Heathrow's first operational year, 63,000 passengers had travelled through the airport, a number that rose to 796,000 by 1951.

In 1951, British architect Frederick Gibberd was appointed to design permanent buildings for the airport. His plan included a central area accessed via a "vehicular subway" running underneath the original main runway, with a 122-foot-high control tower as the focal point. By 1961, the old terminal on the north side had closed, and airlines operated from the Europa terminal (later renamed Terminal 2) or the Oceanic terminal (now Terminal 3).

Terminal 1 opened in 1969, and by that time, five million passengers a year were passing through the airport as the jet age arrived with Boeing 707s, VC10s, and Tridents taking travellers from Heathrow to all parts of the world. The 1970s marked the decade when the world became even smaller, thanks to Concorde and wide-body jets such as the Boeing 747. As the decade drew to a close, 27 million passengers were using Heathrow annually.

Demand for air travel also created the need for another terminal, Terminal 4, which opened in 1986. Heathrow continued to expand and, in 2008, Terminal 5 was opened by Queen Elizabeth II. The newest terminal, officially known as the Queen's Terminal, opened in June 2014 and was designed by Spanish architect Luis Vidal.

Heathrow's restaurants

Heathrow Airport is the UK's largest airport, serving millions of passengers every year. It covers 4.74 square miles (12.3 square kilometres) and has two runways and four operational terminal buildings.

Caviar House & Prunier

A decent selection of fresh oysters, caviar, and smoked salmon. It has concessions in Harrods and elsewhere.

Fortnum & Mason Bar

Indulgent option serving British classics. The menu includes a croque monsieur, salade niçoise, Wye Valley asparagus with hollandaise, and a Welsh rarebit toastie with tomato compote. There is also an impressive seafood menu, including dressed Dorset crab and a range of shellfish.

Spuntino

Reopened after a COVID-19-enforced hiatus, Spuntino is the satellite of Russell Norman and Richard Beatty's legendary Soho dive bar.

Gordon Ramsay's Plane Food

With over 10 years at Heathrow, Gordon Ramsay's restaurant offers a mix of cuisines and styles to please everyone. The menu includes butter chicken curry, a short-rib beef burger, roast cod with "tartare mash", and wild mushroom rigatoni. There is also a "raw bar" serving yellow fin tuna tartare and a seared Hereford beef tataki.

The Perfectionist's Cafe

Backed by Heston Blumenthal, this restaurant serves classic British dishes. The breakfast menu features poached egg variants (Benedict, Florentine, Royale), and black pudding scotch (quail's) eggs with piccalilli. The main menu includes British favourites like crab on toast, chicken tikka masala, and chilli con carne, as well as wood-fired pizzas.

Vagabond

One of London's strongest wine bar chains, Vagabond offers a self-pour craft beer wall and 100 wines from early morning to late at night.

Shan Shui

The only Shanghainese restaurant in the London orbit serving eggs Benedict, Shan Shui adds dim sum to Heathrow's offerings.

Other Options

Heathrow also has several other familiar options, including Pret a Manger, Wagamama, and Yo! Sushi. For those looking for a more traditional British experience, there are plenty of pubs, including The Prince of Wales, The Market Gardener, and The Darwin.

Heathrow's shopping

Heathrow Airport, located 14 miles (23 kilometres) west of Central London, is the UK's largest and busiest airport, serving millions of passengers every year. It is also the busiest airport in Europe and the fourth busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic.

Heathrow offers a wide range of shopping options for travellers, with thousands of products available for purchase. The airport provides a complimentary personal shopping service, allowing passengers to reserve products online and collect and pay for them upon arrival at the airport. Additionally, Heathrow offers a convenient delivery service, allowing shoppers to have their purchases delivered to their door upon their return home.

For savvy shoppers, Heathrow Rewards offers exclusive benefits, allowing members to earn points on every purchase, which can be redeemed for flights, shopping, parking, and dining. Signing up for Heathrow Rewards is free and simple, providing travellers with additional perks during their journey.

With its wide range of shopping and dining options, Heathrow Airport caters to the needs and preferences of its diverse passenger base, ensuring a pleasant and convenient experience for all.

Frequently asked questions