Heathrow : From Tents to Terminal 5

From 1946 until the present day, Heathrow has been a building site, as the airport has grown to cope with the demands of being London's main airport. Ian Anderson takes us on a history of the airport, showing us the development of one of the world's busiest airports

Ian Anderson lived near Heathrow from 1946 until 1960. As a Chartered Civil & Structural Engineer, he has combined his love of buildings'' and structures'' history with his enduring interest in aircraft to compile this history of Heathrow, from when it opened in 1946 up to the present day. The airport has altered beyond recognition since its earliest years when the first flights used temporary tents for arrivals and departures. Today, the airport has five terminals, a brand new control tower and plans for further expansion. Heathrow plans to spent GBP600 million each year between 2014 and 2019 for upgrading operations, yet potential plans to build a third runway are hotly contested, despite the airport almost operating at full capacity. Heathrow is one of the busiest airports in the world, seeing on average 191,200 passengers arriving and departing every day. Additionally, it hosts eighty-four airlines and serves 184 destinations. Although thought of as a place of transition by many, it also directly employs some 45,000 people, which will continue to grow with the recent and future developments.