BAA plans to Demolish Heathrow's Terminal 2 and Queens Building

BAA today outlined its vision to continue the transformation of Heathrow Airport beyond the completion of Terminal 5.

BAA revealed the early stages of a proposal, which considers the demolition of Terminal 2 and the Queens Building, the oldest parts of the airport, to build a single, state-of-the-art facility capable of handling up to 30 million passengers. The size and location of the site would allow BAA to build without unduly disrupting day to day operations, and allow easy connection to existing road and rail infrastructure.

Very early indications are that an incremental net cost of £1 - £1.5 billion would be required to deliver this proposal, but the figures depend on timing and the airlines’ requirements.

The idea, called Heathrow East, would create a new terminal to match the main Terminal 5 building in terms of scale and ambiance and equal or surpass it in terms of form and function. Passengers would benefit from contemporary design and planning, including an enhanced retail experience, while the new building would help Heathrow meet its targets for lower energy use. If the proposal were to receive the go-ahead, it would also allow BAA further options for the closure or redevelopment of Terminal 1 and the space it occupies. The plan does not involve any net increase in passenger capacity.

Mick Temple, Managing Director, BAA Heathrow 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.”

Steve Ridgway, Chief Executive of Virgin Atlantic, commented, "Heathrow may be one of the world's busiest airports but its patchwork growth means that it certainly isn't one of the world's most attractive or easiest to use for passengers. Radical new plans like the ones BAA has outlined today to upgrade or replace existing facilities are long overdue. We look forward to seeing BAA develop these proposals and provide the whole airline community and its customers a standard comparable to BA's new facilities in T5."

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