Twenty miles to the west of London the largest current building project in Europe is 45% complete, on budget and on time for an April 2008 opening. Heathrow T5. Whether London gets the 2012 Olympics or not, one thing for sure, by the time that year comes around the UK will have as fine an international gateway as anywhere in the world, one capable of handling 90m passengers per annum. Heathrow is currently moving 63m passengers annually and offering 1,200 flights per day. With larger aircraft pushing up the passenger load per flight this movement figure is likely to remain static (and in any event is restricted). At ”4bn and six years of construction T5 would have employed 60,000 people before an aircraft leaves a gate with fare paying customers.
T5 was approved by the secretary of state in November 2001 after the longest public enquiry in British history (46 months). It heard 700 witnesses give 30m words of evidence recorded on 80,000 pages of transcript.
Just consider the vital statistics of what used to be called Thames Water Perry Oaks. The T5 site is 260 hectares ” the equivalent of Hyde Park. In fact it is one quarter of the total Heathrow land mass. The main terminal building (Concourse A) is 396m long, 39m tall and 176m wide. In fact there are two terminals under construction, the main building plus satellite B connected by an underground people mover. Much of the below ground work is also being constructed for satellite C, expected to come on stream in 2112 raising capacity by 3m to 30m. The site for a further satellite, D, is also earmarked. Satellite B is larger than T4 and whilst only 50m wide is slightly longer even than Concourse A. At the present time T5 employs 5,000 workers per day most of whom are bussed on and off the site. The total bill for this transport over the period of the construction comes to ”11m. One 40ft load (including buses) arrive at the security point every 30 seconds during the working day. Some 80,000 tons of structural steel would have been used compared with 23,000 tons at Wembley and 13,500 for the new Birmingham Bullring. Two rivers have been diverted and the landscaping includes 450 trees and over 100,000 evergreen shrubs.
British Airways are the tenants although it remains to be seen which of its Oneworld partners join them in the building. With T5 the airline should be able to phase out memories of two disastrous summers at Heathrow when very serious question marks were raised concerning management. Heathrow is the world”s busiest international airport. British Airways has 40% of the slots including many lucrative long haul routes. Previously all its fights were from two widely separated buildings, not conducive to a smooth operation. Costs should dramatically come down. Even its off airport Waterside head office is half the distance it was, now about five minutes away.
With the wonderful new building plus a pro-active rather than reactive marketing operation the opportunity is there for it to once again become the ”world”s favourite airline”. As things stand Skyteam are expected to replace BA in T4 and the Star Alliance move into T1. It”s not difficult to understand their annoyance in seemingly paying for a new terminal that they are banned from, although BA could point out the poor treatment they have received over the years at CDG and Frankfurt. Clearly it works both ways, which will not benefit Sir Michael Bishop, a continuing protester regarding costs. T5 is designed for the Airbus A380 which BA does not have on order although likely tenant Qantas is a lead customer for the new aircraft. In fact BAA claim that 25% of the 60 aircraft stands will be used by the A380 in time.
For the first time Heathrow will have a proper integrated railway station. There will be six platforms, two for the Piccadilly Line, two for the Heathrow Express and a further pair to safeguard capacity for future rail links to the west. Whilst those who use the M25 may curse all the current problems associated with the parallel road widening scheme by the time it is competed access to T5 should be very easy, with no tunnel to worry about, or the relatively long haul from the motorway system for T4. 4,000 car-parking places are being provided. However BAA emphasise that they expect 50% of surface journeys to and from T5 to be by public transport. A new service tunnel has already been built to the central area which can be easily seen from T3. Also under construction, and very visible, is a new 87m high control tower which will take over from the existing 40 year old building that dominates the central area.
The T5 terminal building has five floors, the equivalent of 50 football pitches, 175 lifts and 131 elevators. Necessary post 9/11 regulations have meant a complete re-think regarding security. However the designers have focused on the need to move passengers through the building as quickly and efficiently as possible. Some 30% of Heathrow business is connecting traffic. T5 could increase this percentage, another plus for British Airways and its partner airlines. BA will also be able to consolidate its baggage system which will not only handle items within T5 but those from the four other Heathrow terminals and that transferred from Gatwick. To assist in the management of different bag routings an ”itinerary” is developed for each item which is controlled throughout its journey to the aircraft, including flight delays.
The French group Accor has won the race to operate the new flagship hotel at T5 under its Sofitel brand, as already reported in ABTN (issue 9 August). The five star property, connected by walkways to the terminal, will also open in the spring of 2008 and will be the icing on the cake as far as the public is concerned.
From initial concept to completion Heathrow Terminal 5 has taken 20 years. Some would argue longer. However the finished product looks like being everything that people wanted. 2008 will come around quickly enough. We can then pass judgement.
http://www.baa.com/main/airports/heathrow/terminal_5_frame.html