Workers walk through the passenger departure hall at Heathrow airport’s new Terminal 2
London. – London’s Heathrow airport welcomed its first passengers to a 2,5 billion-pound ($4,2 billion) terminal today, aiming to avoid the chaos of the last major opening and bolster its case for remaining a major hub.
More than 2 400 passengers had arrived on flights at Terminal 2 by mid day UK time while 1 800 had checked in for departures.
The first flight to use the building, which replaces facilities from the 1950s, was a United Airlines Boeing 767 from Chicago.
Flights are initially capped at 10 percent of capacity to allow time to work out any system snags, after the debut of Heathrow’s Terminal 5 in 2008 led to a baggage-handling glitch that cost 16 million pounds in expenses and lost revenue.
With undulating ceilings and a plaza-like departure zone, Terminal 2 adds no new capacity and instead will help Heathrow counter the glitz of newer hubs in the Persian Gulf, according to chief executive-designate John Holland-Kaye.
The biggest challenge may be a unique experiment in scrapping dedicated check-in desks for the 23 Star Alliance airlines that will use the building.
“It’s never been done before at any airport where you have so many carriers working together to implement common check-in,” said Justin Erbacci, the alliance’s vice president for customer experience and technology. Moving Star carriers to one terminal from three before will also halve minimum connection times to 60 minutes – if the new system works as planned.
180 Trials
Some 600 flights were cancelled or delayed after the botched opening of Terminal 5, and Heathrow is anxious to avoid any repeat as it campaigns for the right to add a third runway after operating close to capacity since the start of the decade.
“We’re in as good a shape as we can be at this stage, given how complex opening a new terminal is,” Holland-Kaye said, adding that Heathrow has prepared through more than 180 trials with thousands of volunteers standing in as passengers, handling 4 000 bags an hour versus a likely peak of 2 400.
The reduction in time spent checking in, clearing security and walking to gates means people will have more chance to shop and eat, with UK companies including department store chain John Lewis Partnership Plc and pub operator Fuller Smith & Turner Plc among those showcased at Heathrow for the first time.
The building will also boast Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal’s first terminal venue. With a wood-burning stove and ice cream made with liquid nitrogen, The Perfectionists’ Cafe will vie for airport honours with outlets from Gordon Ramsey in Terminal 5 and Jamie Oliver at London Gatwick. – Bloomberg.