Heathrow Airport: London's Gateway To The World

Heathrow Airport (LHR) is located in the London borough of Hillingdon, 14 miles (23 kilometres) west of Central London. It is the largest of the six international airports in the London airport system and the busiest airport in Europe. Heathrow Airport is the primary hub for British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. It has two runways, four operational passenger terminals and one cargo terminal.

Heathrow Airport is located 14-23km west of London's city centre

Heathrow Airport was founded in 1930 as a small airfield called Great West Aerodrome. It was expanded after World War II and opened as London Airport in 1946. The airport was renamed Heathrow Airport in 1966 to avoid confusion with Gatwick and Stansted airports, which also serve London. Heathrow has continued to expand over the years, with the addition of new terminals and runways. Today, the airport covers 4.74 square miles (12.3 square kilometres) and handles a significant volume of passenger traffic, ranking among the busiest airports in the world.

Heathrow Airport is about 23km away from Central London and is easily accessible from nearby areas such as Harlington, Harmondsworth, Longford, Cranford, Hatton, Feltham, Bedfont, and Stanwell. The airport is well-connected to over 90 countries worldwide and serves more than 180 airline connections across all continents except Antarctica. With its proximity to London and extensive flight connections, Heathrow Airport plays a crucial role in facilitating travel to and from the United Kingdom.

Heathrow is in the London Borough of Hillingdon

Heathrow Airport (LHR) is located in the London Borough of Hillingdon. It is 14 miles (23 kilometres) west of Central London and is the largest airport in London. Heathrow Airport is one of the largest, busiest, and most modern airports in Europe. It is also the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the seventh busiest in the world based on passenger traffic.

Heathrow Airport is the main international airport serving London, the capital and most populous city in England and the United Kingdom. It is the primary hub for British Airways and the main operating base of Virgin Atlantic. Approximately 80 airlines fly from Heathrow, serving over 180 destinations worldwide.

Heathrow Airport was founded as a small airfield in 1930 but was expanded into a much larger airport after World War II. It falls entirely within the boundaries of the London Borough of Hillingdon and is surrounded by the villages of Sipson, Harlington, Harmondsworth, Longford, Cranford, Hatton, Feltham, Bedfont, and Stanwell.

Heathrow Airport has four passenger terminals and a cargo terminal. The airport is accessible by bus, coach, Heathrow Express, TfL Rail, or London Underground.

The airport is served by the Piccadilly Line, Heathrow Express, and TfL Rail

London Heathrow Airport is served by the Piccadilly Line, Heathrow Express, and TfL Rail. The Piccadilly Line is the slowest option, with a journey time of around an hour, but it is also the cheapest. TfL Rail (formerly known as Heathrow Connect) offers a middle ground between the Piccadilly Line and the Heathrow Express, with tickets costing about half the price of the Heathrow Express and a journey time that is much shorter than the Tube. The Heathrow Express is the quickest route to Paddington Station, taking just 15 minutes, but it is also the most expensive.

Heathrow is the UK's busiest airport, with 80 million passengers in 2018

Heathrow Airport, located in the west of London, is the UK's busiest airport, with 80 million passengers in 2018. It is also the largest airport in London, with two runways and four operational terminals. Heathrow is the primary hub for British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, with the latter using Heathrow as its main operating base.

Heathrow is 14 miles west of Central London, in the London borough of Hillingdon. It is the largest of the six international airports in the London airport system, with Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, City, and Southend being the other five.

Heathrow Airport was founded as a small airfield in 1930 but was expanded after World War II. It covers 4.74 square miles and has been gradually expanded over 75 years. The airport has four passenger terminals, numbered 2 to 5, and one cargo terminal.

Heathrow is the fourth busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic and the second busiest by international passenger traffic. In 2023, it was the busiest airport in Europe. Heathrow is also the UK's largest port by value, with a network of over 218 destinations worldwide.

In 2018, Heathrow served as the London gateway for a whopping 80.1 million passengers, almost double the number of passengers at Gatwick, its closest London rival. Over 80 airlines serve more than 200 destinations worldwide from Heathrow.

Heathrow Airport has won awards for its security and was voted the world's best airport terminal in 2014. The airport has several dining and retail options, including celebrity chef restaurants and a "reserve and collect" shopping service.

Heathrow is well-connected to Central London by train, with the Heathrow Express, the Tube, and stopping trains providing transportation options.

Heathrow Airport is currently undergoing expansion, with plans for a third runway and continued development well into 2030.

Heathrow Airport opened in 1946

Heathrow Airport, originally known as London Airport, first opened its doors on 25 March 1946. It was built on land that was once the Great West Aerodrome, owned by Fairey Aviation. Fairey Aviation was founded by British aero-engineer and plane builder Richard Fairey, who started assembling and flight-testing aircraft from Northolt Aerodrome, about six miles north of Heathrow Airport. Fairey Aviation bought 148 acres of farmland in four adjoining plots near southeast of the hamlet of Heathrow from four local landowners for about £1,500, at the typical 1929 market rate of £10 per acre. The airfield was declared operational in June 1930.

During World War II, the government requisitioned land in and around the ancient agricultural village of Heath Row, including Fairey's 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 Heath Row and clearing land for the runways started in 1944.

By the time the war ended, the RAF no longer needed another aerodrome, and it was officially handed over to the Air Ministry as London's new civil airport on 1 January 1946. The first aircraft to take off from Heathrow was a converted Lancaster bomber called Starlight, which flew to Buenos Aires. The airport was officially opened on 25 March 1946 by Lord Winster, the Minister of Aviation. The early passenger terminals were ex-military marquees, which formed a tented village along the Bath Road. The terminals were primitive but comfortable, equipped with floral-patterned armchairs, settees, and small tables containing vases of fresh flowers.

By the close of Heathrow's first operational year, 63,000 passengers had travelled through London's new airport. By 1951, this number had risen to 796,000, and British architect Frederick Gibberd was appointed to design permanent buildings for the airport. His plan saw the creation of a central area accessed via a vehicular subway running underneath the original main runway. The focal point of Gibberd's plan was a 122-foot-high control tower.

In 1961, the old terminal on the north side closed, and airlines either operated from the Europa terminal (later renamed Terminal 2) or the Oceanic terminal (now Terminal 3). Terminal 1 opened in 1969, by which 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 and from all parts of the world.

Today, Heathrow Airport is the world's busiest international airport and the hub of the civil aviation world. Over 67 million passengers travel through the airport annually on services offered by 90 airlines, travelling to over 180 destinations in over 90 countries. Heathrow celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2020.

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