- Part of 182 trials involving 14,000 people taking place before the terminal opens
- New system will process 4,800 items of baggage per hour
- Terminal 2 : The Queen’s Terminal will welcome first passengers on 4 June 2014
- £2.5bn of private investment in UK infrastructure
2013-06-25 — /travelprnews.com/ — Heathrow today welcomed Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin to witness the testing of Terminal 2’s baggage system, one of 182 trials that Heathrow Airport is undertaking to prepare the terminal for opening on 4 June 2014.
The Secretary of State was taken on a tour of the new £2.5 billion facility by Heathrow’s Chairman, Sir Nigel Rudd. Patrick McLoughlin saw bags being successfully put through the recently delivered system and then arriving on the new carousel in the baggage hall.
Speaking at the terminal Patrick McLoughlin said:
“Terminal 2 represents a massive investment in Heathrow and in our national airports infrastructure, benefitting the thousands of passengers who will pass through it every day as well as helping the UK stay competitive. I was impressed to see the huge amount of work being done to make sure Terminal 2 is thoroughly prepared to welcome its first travellers next year.”
Every night between 2,500 and 4,000 bags are put through the baggage system. With a year to go until the terminal opens Heathrow is testing and trialling all aspects of the new terminal including check-in, air bridges, numerous processes and systems and eventually end-to-end passenger trials. The baggage system testing is one of the first trials to be undertaken at Terminal 2.
Sir Nigel Rudd, Heathrow Chairman said:
“Getting the baggage process right at Terminal 2 is key to a good passenger experience. We know that people want to both check in and pick up their bags as quickly as possible and we are working hard to make sure our systems are ready to do this .
“Terminal 2 is the next stage in Heathrow’s transformation and a significant investment in businesses and jobs across the UK. It will continue the big improvements in passenger satisfaction we’ve seen over the last decade, thanks to £11bn of investment.”
The terminal will open in phases, with the 26 airlines moving in over a period of six months. Just ten per cent of flights will operate for the first three weeks of June before gradually building up to full operations.
Notes to editors
Terminal 2 phase 1 is a £2.5bn development:
- The main terminal building
- A satellite building – T2B (connected to T2A via an underground walkway)
- A 1,340 space multi-storey car park
- An energy centre
- 28 fully serviced and fuelled aircraft stands (12 at the main terminal building, 16 at the satellite)
- 60 self-service kiosks
- 60 fast bag drops – which can also be configured for traditional use
- 56 traditional check-in desks
- Check-in will be large enough to accommodate 3,000 passengers per hour
- 24 security lanes (17 for economy passengers, 4 Fast Track and 3 for staff and crew)
- Approximately 500 security officers, 30 passenger Service Ambassadors and 70 Service Team Leaders
- An average of 55,000 passengers will arrive and depart from the Terminal daily once in full operation
Sustainability
- 20% of T2’s energy needs will be from renewable sources
- 40.5% less CO2 emissions than a building built to 2006 building regulations
- 1000 square metres of photovoltaic panels on the building’s canopy
- 12MW biomass boiler heater
- Wood used to power the boiler is sustainably sourced, FSC approved timber
- The first phase will potentially save around 13,000 tonnes of CO2 a year compared to the use of natural gas and grid electricity
- Extensive glazing means more natural light. As well as glazed walls, north-facing skylights in the roof will provide glare-free daylight without heat gain (which would mean more air conditioning)
- A sophisticated lighting control system will keep energy use down by switching lights off when parts of the building are not in use or when daylight is bright enough
- To prevent solar heat gain, the glazed facade incorporates solar control glass and angled louvres, while an overhanging roof shades the south-facing windows
- 95% of the demolished buildings were recycled (Old T2 and the Queen’s building)
- The layout of aircraft stands at Terminal 2 will mean planes can taxi more efficiently to the runways, reducing ground level emissions and improving air quality. Mirroring the way buildings are arranged at Terminal 5, this is called a ‘toast rack’ layout.
- Aircraft stands will use units to supply aircraft with electricity and preconditioned air so that they don’t have to run their auxiliary engines when stationary
The old Terminal 2
- Opened in 1955, shut after 54 years of service in 2009
- Demolished in 2010
- It was Heathrow’s first terminal, originally called the ‘Europa Building’. It was renamed Terminal 2 when Terminal 1 opened in 1969
Contact information
Heathrow Airport media centre
Telephone +44 (0)20 8745 7224
Email media_centre@heathrow.com
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UK Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin to witness the testing of Heathrow Terminal 2’s baggage system