British Airways Hong Kong Flights Switch to London Heathrow Terminal 1

Starting 28 March 2004, all British Airways flights between Hong Kong and London Heathrow will arrive at and depart from London Heathrow Terminal 1.

The arrangement comes as the airline embarks upon the second phase of its Heathrow Flight Switch programme at the end of March, the beginning of the summer flying season. 

The Heathrow Flight Switch programme will bring a number of significant benefits for British Airways passengers from Hong Kong, particularly the airline's transfer passengers connecting between longhaul and certain shorthaul flights who will not have to change terminals at Heathrow.

By switching the Hong Kong-London service from Terminal 4 to Terminal 1, the percentage of connecting passengers needing to change terminals at London Heathrow will significantly reduce from 82% to 28%.

As well as reduced connection times between longhaul and shorthaul flights, passengers will now experience the full benefits of better facilities at Terminal 1. British Airways has invested in a range of new facilities including a dedicated check-in zone for premium passengers and arrivals and departure lounges.

The first Hong Kong flights to arrive at and depart from Terminal 1 are:

· BA026 and BA028: Hong Kong to London, departing from Hong Kong on Saturday 27 March and arriving at Heathrow Terminal 1 on Sunday 28 March 2004

· BA025 and BA027: London to Hong Kong, departing from Heathrow Terminal 1 on Sunday 28 March 2004

Apart from Hong Kong flights, British Airways flight services to and from Athens, Moscow (Domodedovo), Los Angeles and San Francisco will also transfer from Heathrow Terminal 4 to Terminal 1 from March 28. Moving the other way, seven shorthaul services will transfer from Heathrow Terminal 1 to Terminal 4: Brussels, Copenhagen, Geneva, Lyon, Oslo, Vienna and Zurich.

The first phase of the flight switch programme saw the airline's two daily Tokyo Narita and two daily Johannesburg services transfer from Terminal 4 to Terminal 1 at the end of October 2003.

Together, these flight switches represent the most significant relocation of BA flights at Heathrow since the airline moved into Terminal 4 in 1986. Just over 20 per cent of BA's daily Heathrow departures are being switched.

With such a large number of flight services moving between Heathrow terminals, British Airways is reminding passengers to check which terminal they are flying from before they set off for the airport.

The work by British Airways is part of more than £300 million worth of infrastructure improvements in Terminal 1 by airport operator BAA, which includes expansion of the terminal's departure lounge, departure baggage system, check-in and arrivals immigration hall.