UK. Heathrow Airport will reopen Terminal 4 on 14 June, as the UK hub ramps up capacity ahead of the Summer season. The airport company said that a wide range of retail, food & beverage outlets will be available, and more will open over the Summer as airline occupancy increases. We will bring you more details of the commercial offer in coming days.
Qatar Airways will be the first airline to move to T4, followed by around 30 airlines over the following month.
The move will allow Terminal 4 airlines more check-in space and stand capacity as well as access to their premium facilities. It will also free up space in Terminals 2, 3 and 5 ahead of the Summer peak. Over the last two years, the airport company has refurbished many parts of Terminal 4, including upgrading toilets, air conditioning and hold baggage screening machines.
Heathrow said it has increased its customer service team to help manage queues in check-in. Heathrow is also bolstering its ‘Here to Help’ team, which sees head office colleagues including all senior managers mobilised across the four terminals.
Heathrow said that operations “have run smoothly” over the half-term holiday, as a result of collaboration between airport, airlines, handlers and Border Force. At peak times there have been longer queues than usual at check-in, security, immigration and baggage reclaim, said the airport company, “but it has been well organised and has kept moving”.
Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said: “I want to thank our colleagues and Team Heathrow partners who are working tirelessly to make sure that millions of people can enjoy the benefits of travel once again.
“While we are still years away from passenger numbers returning to pre-pandemic levels, reopening Terminal 4 will give airlines at Heathrow extra space across the airport, helping them manage the impact additional travel documents continue to have on check-in times.”
Click here for a recent on location interview with Retail & Property Director Fraser Brown about recovery and the challenges that lie ahead as the UK’s leading travel hub gets set for a busy Summer.
