90% of Construction Complete

The world's largest airport operator, BAA, and British Airways have announced the date for the opening of Terminal 5 (T5), British Airways' new home at London's Heathrow Airport: March 27, 2008.

Construction is more than 90 percent complete, on schedule and on budget. The terminal is expected to serve around 30 million passengers a year and be a "stunning new gateway to the UK," according to Italy's Assodigitale.

September of this year will begin a six-month 'proving period' when the terminal will be put through real-life scenarios to test everything from parking to baggage systems to IT to security. The airport is set to hire 16,000 people to put the facility to the test.

"London is a world city, a global financial center and needs a world class airport," said Tony Douglas, Chief Executive Officer of BAA Heathrow. "T5 is already a testament to the skill and hard work of the thousands of people, including architects, planners, construction workers, airport and airline staff, who have together made the building happen. With just 366 days to go there is still much to do, but we're confident we are on track to deliver a world-class experience that Heathrow's passengers deserve."

British Airways will be T5's lone occupant -- freeing up needed space in Heathrow's existing terminals. Willie Walsh, Chief Executive of British Airways, said, "This is a historic breakthrough which will transform the airport experience for our customers. T5 will mean less queuing, faster baggage systems and better punctuality. For comfort and convenience, it will exceed the best you can find at any other airport.

"The next twelve months will be extremely busy as we continue with our preparations for the move. Our plans are on track and we will be ready for 27 March, 2008 when the first flights begin."

The opening of T5 is also a major step in the recently approved Open Skies agreement, which will allow US airlines to fly from anywhere in the US to any point within the EU, and vice-versa. Rules governing how much airlines may charge on those flights would also be relaxed -- a move airlines say would lead to lower fares, although critics fear that rule might have the opposite effect.

As Aero-News reported, British Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander requested and received approval on a five-month delay in implementing the deal, to give British carriers at Heathrow time to revise their game plans in the face of potential competition from American carriers.

FMI: www.baa.com/t5, www.heathrowairport.com/