27/03/2008 05:13:00
Two weeks after it was officially launched by the Queen, Heathrow's long-awaited Terminal 5 building has opened its doors to passengers today (March 27).
The new Heathrow terminal, which cost an estimated £4.3 billion to build, saw its first flight touch down this morning - a British Airways flight from Hong Kong.
The Guardian reports that most passengers at T5 this morning had a hitch-free experience. However, some passengers have complained of having to queue for longer than expected.
BAA, Heathrow's owner, hopes that T5 will reduce passenger waiting times, with 20 fully manned security checkpoints and a target of 95% of fliers queuing for no longer than five minutes.
Logistics director at Heathrow, Shaun Cowlam, told the Guardian: "On the whole it has gone extremely well, quite clearly there are a few snags but an operation this big is like buying a house. There are always niggles."
However, the fanfare surrounding the new terminal building could be overshadowed by a planned "flash mob" protest scheduling to take place at T5 this morning.
According to the BBC, protestors - which include local London residents and environmentalists from across the country - are concerned that the increased terminal capacity will mean an increased number of flights, which could have a harmful impact on the environment.
Over the course of the following year, British Airways will move most of its flights to T5. This will include all long haul flights from Terminals 1 and 4 (except Singapore, Bangkok and Sydney) and domestic flights from Terminal 1, including flights to Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Newcastle upon Tyne.