14/03/2008 01:25:00
The Queen is set to launch Heathrow Airport's new Terminal 5 today (March 14) in an opening ceremony that will feature hundreds of airport employees and construction workers involved in its creation.
The Duke of Edinburgh will accompany the Queen, who also opened Heathrow's first terminal building (now Terminal 2) in 1955. Other guests at the event will include Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly, BAA's chairman Sir Nigel Rudd and the chairman of British Airways, Martin Broughton.
Terminal 5, which cost an estimated £4.3 billion to build, aims to increase passenger capacity at Heathrow, which sees around 67.3 million pass through its gates each year.
However, according to the BBC, the number of flights will remain the same when the terminal opens to passengers on March 27.
The new Heathrow appendage offers an array of gourmet restaurants, luxury shops, faster check-in services and advanced baggage systems which are designed to reduce the amount of lost luggage experienced by the airport each year. Speaking to BBC Television today, Sir Rudd said:
"London deserves a first-class airport. We are starting today. This is a new beginning."
He added,
"From every perspective, this is a landmark project and I am proud to think that Terminal 5 has become a model construction project, setting new, higher standards for an industry around the world."
Despite the excitement, the building of Terminal 5 has been littered with protests. Green campaigners claim the added space and planned third runway will result in an increased number of flights, which could have devastating effects on the environment.
The BBC states that Terminal 5 will be used solely by British Airways, for international flights to and from Newcastle, Manchester, Belfast and Scottish airports. The first flight to land at the terminal will be a BA flight from Hong Kong, arriving in two weeks time.