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Heathrow Terminal 2: One of the most eagerly awaited terminal openings of 2014 |
UK. Heathrow Airport’s new £2.5 billion Terminal 2 opens today, featuring 33 retail units and 17 food & beverage outlets within a broad commercial offer.
The first flight from United Airlines arrived early this morning. Terminal 2 will eventually be home to 26 airlines – 23 members of the Star Alliance as well as Aer Lingus, Germanwings and Virgin Atlantic Little Red. Airlines will move into the new terminal in phases over the next six months. When fully occupied, Terminal 2 will have 332 daily flights to 54 global destinations.
In retail and F&B, Terminal 2 has a number of world firsts, including an airport debut for British high-street retailer John Lewis. There is an emphasis on British brands, among them names such as Cath Kidston and Ted Baker and luxury fashion houses Mulberry and Burberry.
Terminal 2 also welcomes award winning chef Heston Blumenthal with the opening of his newest restaurant, The Perfectionists’ Café. Among the other F&B units are a Fuller’s pub serving London Pride and The Gorgeous Kitchen – a restaurant created by four local female chefs.
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A view inside the new T2 Departures lounge before opening day |
Heathrow Development Director and Chief Executive Designate John Holland-Kaye said: “Terminal 2 is the culmination of an £11 billion investment programme that has transformed Heathrow for passengers. Opening a new terminal is one of the most complex challenges that any airport can undertake. Our measure of success is not everything running perfectly on day one – there will inevitably be things we can improve. Our real measure of success is whether Terminal 2 comes to be rated by passengers as one of the world’s best airport terminals for years to come.”
The £11 billion investment programme at the airport includes the construction of Terminal 2A and B, Terminal 5 A, B and C, a new control tower, and the refurbishment of Terminals 3 and 4.
The new Terminal 2 has been named “˜The Queen’s Terminal’ in honour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The terminal will be honoured with a Royal opening on 23 June when Her Majesty the Queen will visit the airport accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh. The original terminal opened in 1955 as Heathrow’s first passenger terminal.
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John Holland-Kaye: “Our real measure of success is whether Terminal 2 comes to be rated by passengers as one of the world’s best airport terminals for years to come” |
The airport company said the opening would help Heathrow step up its service to consumers. It noted that the proportion of passengers rating their journey at Heathrow as “very good” or “excellent” has increased from 41% in 2006 to 80% in 2014.
The company added: “Heathrow is confident but not complacent about the opening. We recognise that there will inevitably be some teething problems in the first few days. We are focused on identifying and resolving issues as quickly as possible to deliver a smooth journey for passengers.
“Heathrow has sought advice from other airports around the world and learnt lessons from opening Terminal 5. More than 180 trials have taken place over the last six months involving 14,000 volunteers. 100,000 bags have already passed through the Terminal 2 baggage system, with peak loads tested at 4,000 bags per hour compared to an expected peak of 2,500 bags. Every person working at Terminal 2 has been required to participate in familiarisation and training sessions with more than 1,700 sessions taking place. Airlines will move into the new terminal is a series of 11 airline moves over the course of six months. Today, the terminal will operate at just 10% of its total flight volume.”
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