An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from an aircraft .
107-502: Heathrow Terminal 5 is an airport terminal at Heathrow Airport , the main airport serving London . Opened in 2008, the main building in the complex is the largest free-standing structure in the United Kingdom. Until 2012, the terminal was used solely by British Airways. It now is used as one of the three global hubs of IAG , served by British Airways and Iberia . The terminal was designed to handle 72.29 million passengers
214-463: A boarding pass before they can proceed to board their aircraft. Check-in is usually the first procedure for a passenger when arriving at an airport, as airline regulations require passengers to check in by certain times prior to the departure of a flight. This duration spans from 15 minutes to 2 hours depending on the destination and airline (with self check in, this can be expanded to 30 days, if checking in by online processes). During this process,
321-402: A baggage reclaim hall. T5A contains the bulk of the terminal's baggage handling system . This baggage handling system is the largest in the world with 5 miles (8.0 km) of high-speed track and 11 miles (18 km) of regular conveyor belts. It is designed to handle 4,000 bags per hour, and also has an "early bag store" which can temporarily store up to 4,000 bags. Departing passengers enter
428-507: A boarding pass by the British Airways CEO Willie Walsh for the first departing flight, BA302 to Paris. On the day of opening, it quickly became apparent that the new terminal was not operating as planned, forcing British Airways to cancel 34 flights and suspend baggage check-in . Over the following 10 days some 42,000 bags failed to travel with their owners, and over 500 flights were cancelled. British Airways
535-559: A bus station and taxi rank (at ground level), a 3,800-space short-stay multi-storey car park (levels 1 to 4) and a drop-off zone (level 5). A walkway at level 1 of the frontal building provides under-cover access to the Sofitel Heathrow Airport T5 Hotel, while a section of level 2 is used for the link to the long-term business car park (see below). The frontal building is connected to the main terminal by covered walkways at ground level (the arrivals level of
642-408: A ceremony on 14 March 2008. Used by British Airways (and now IAG ( Iberia )) as well as American Airlines (OneWorld Partner), the terminal opened for passenger use on 27 March 2008, with flight BA26 from Hong Kong its first arrival at 04:50 GMT. The first passenger to enter Terminal 5 was Paul Walker, a UK emigrant from Kenya who entered through security at 04:30 on 27 March 2008 and was presented with
749-402: A certain frequent flyer program membership card (usually the higher-level tiers), or any other arrangements with the carrier, access to the premium check-in area and/or the lounge may be offered. Premium check-in areas vary among airlines and airports. The main airport in which an airline hub is located normally offers a more thorough and exclusive premium check-in experience, normally inside
856-407: A dedicated application. The process is then similar to that which one would expect when checking in using a personal computer. At the end of the mobile check-in process, some airlines send a mobile boarding pass to a passenger's mobile device, which can be scanned at the airport during security checks and boarding. However, others send an electronic confirmation with a barcode that can be presented to
963-441: A dedicated curb side entrance and can wait at couches while staff assist them in checking-in. They are then led to a dedicated passport control counter. Emirates provides its first-class/business-class customers with individual and separate check-in lane at its hub DXB , to divide most economy-class customers from main check-in lobby apart, and then ensuring those first-class/business-class customers' privacy. SkyTeam provides
1070-586: A direct rail connection by regional rail , light rail , or subway to the downtown or central business district of the closest major city. The largest airports may have direct connections to the closest freeway . The Hong Kong International Airport has ferry piers on the airside for ferry connections to and from mainland China and Macau without passing through Hong Kong immigration controls. [REDACTED] Media related to Airport terminals at Wikimedia Commons Airport Check-in Airport check-in
1177-490: A flight. In order to meet this demand, some sites have offered travelers the ability to request an airline check-in prior to the 24-hour window and receive airline boarding passes by email when available from the airline. Some airlines charge for the privilege of early check-in before the 24-hour window opens, thus capitalising on the demand for desirable seats such as those immediately behind a bulkhead or emergency exit row, such as Ryanair, which allow check-in up to 60 days before
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#17327760465281284-522: A large building with the attached ancillaries for planes (the central building was intended not for the passengers, but for a dirigible ). The predecessors of the modern terminals were the structures erected for the air shows of the Edwardian era (for example, the Reims Air Meet in 1909). These buildings usually were L-shaped , with one wing dedicated to the planes and flight personnel, and
1391-498: A passenger building flanked by hangars into the corner of an airfield. This design influenced the Tempelhof, arguably the seminal design in the history or airports: the original Modernist terminal by Paul and Klaus Englers of 1926-1929 was placed into the center of the field, thus defied the need for expansion, and had to be replaced by the new building in the late 1930s (architect Ernst Sagebiel ). Hounslow (now Heathrow airport )
1498-578: A passenger is checked on all the onward flights and has boarding passes for all the connecting flights and bags are also through checked i.e. passenger does not need to recheck him/herself and the baggage again on the transit, then the check-in is known as through check-in. At the time of check-in, one of the agent's primary duties is to check for valid documents. This includes tickets, passports, visas , letters of consent, and in some cases, passengers' address and contact details to comply with immigration requirements. Some airlines may ask passengers to present
1605-501: A satellite terminal was London Gatwick Airport . It used an underground pedestrian tunnel to connect the satellite to the main terminal. Passengers are sometimes ferried to the satellite terminals by people movers , trains, or overhead bridges. The layout has the potential to cut the walking distances and was successfully applied in the Orlando International Airport and Tampa International Airport . However,
1712-454: A satisfactory business case and funding agreement. This link would allow rail services to continue westwards from Terminal 5 to serve stations in the West of England . [REDACTED] Media related to Heathrow Terminal 5 at Wikimedia Commons [REDACTED] Geographic data related to Heathrow Terminal 5 at OpenStreetMap Airport terminal The buildings that provide access to
1819-563: A separate check-in lounge. For example, Air New Zealand 's Auckland International premium check-in lounge provides a dedicated customs clearance counter and direct shortcut access to the security checkpoints. Airlines operating in minor airports generally offer an exclusive and separate premium check-in queue lane, often combined for its first, business, and/or premium economy passengers. Singapore Airlines also offers this service to First Class and Suites passengers, whose flights depart Singapore Changi Airport 's Terminal 3. These passengers have
1926-496: A single large building, like the one at the Ford Dearborn Airport (1925–1926). Dedicated passenger building started to appear. In Europe, Le Bourget got new buildings in classical style arranged in very non-airport-like manner around a central garden in the early 1920s. The "air station" of Königsberg Devau (1922) was probably the first design resembling the modern ones: Hanns Hopp , a German architect, placed
2033-788: A smartphone app. Electronic bag tags are designed to streamline the baggage check-in process, allowing passengers to pre-tag their luggage from anywhere before arriving at the airport. Once at the airport, passengers simply drop off their luggage at a designated self-service drop point or at a traditional check-in counter if preferred. This innovation reduces check-in time and also reduces the chance of lost luggage, as electronic tags are more durable and less likely to be misplaced or damaged during handling. Passengers can use their electronic bag tags from BAGTAG with Lufthansa , Qatar Airways , Alaska Airlines , KLM , SWISS , Austrian Airlines , Air Dolomiti , Discover Airlines , Icelandair , Aegean , Horizon Air , Skywest and China Southern . Usually at
2140-548: A touch-screen device at Pod stations in the car parks or inside the terminal building. The service commenced in September 2011. This system was designed by Bristol based Advanced Transport Systems, and the intention is that it will eventually transport passengers around the perimeter fence to Terminals 2 and 3. An underground automated people mover (APM) system, known as the Transit , is used to transport passengers between
2247-586: A year. In 2018, Terminal 5 handled 32.1 million passengers on 211,000 flights. It was the busiest terminal at the airport, measured both by passenger numbers and flight movements. The building's leading architects were from the Richard Rogers Partnership and production design was completed by aviation architects Pascall+Watson . The engineers for the structure were Arup and Mott MacDonald . The building cost £4 billion and took almost 20 years from conception to completion, including
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#17327760465282354-553: Is 87 metres (285 ft) in height, making it one of the tallest in Europe and twice the height of London's Nelson's Column . It became operational in April 2007. As of 1 June 2023, British Airways and Iberia use Terminal 5, with British Airways operating the majority of its flights from Heathrow there, with some short-haul destinations served from Terminal 3 due to T5 capacity restrictions. In summer 2023 British Airways
2461-569: Is a lack of any provision for transfer flights, with passengers only able to transit landside. Hybrid layouts also exist. San Francisco International Airport and Melbourne Airport use a hybrid pier-semicircular layout and a pier layout for the rest. Chris Blow lists the following standard options of using multiple levels in the airport terminals: A common-use facility or terminal design disallows airlines to have its own proprietary check-in counters, gates and IT systems. Rather, check-in counters and gates can be flexibly reassigned as needed. This
2568-436: Is a service offered by some cities such as Abu Dhabi , Seoul , Hong Kong , Delhi , Kuala Lumpur–International , London , Stockholm , Vienna and Taipei , where passengers may check in luggage in designated places within the city but outside the airport. This reduces check-in time and queuing at the airport. If passenger is checked in for only one sector of the flight, then it is called destination or point check-in. If
2675-576: Is also the potential for an additional satellite building, T5D, to be located to the east of T5C, as displayed in Heathrow's Capital Investment Plan for 2009. As of 2022 there were no plans to add T5D. An underground automated people mover (APM), known as the Transit , connects passengers between Terminal 5A, Terminal 5B and Terminal 5C. The escalators which service the APM system from the main T5A concourse are
2782-755: Is close to the boundary of Greater London , some local buses are part of the London Buses network, whilst others are run by operators from outside the London Buses area. A 2.4-mile (3.9 km)-long personal rapid transit system, known as the Pod , links the nearby business car park and the main Terminal 5A building. The Pod system is operated landside with a fleet of battery-powered, driverless ULTra vehicles running on an elevated and at-grade segregated guideway. Pod vehicles are operated by passengers using
2889-534: Is connected to multiple concourses or multiple unit terminals . By the end of the 20th century airport terminals became symbols of progress and trade, showcasing the aspirations of nations constructing them. The buildings are also characterized by a very rapid pace of redevelopment, much higher that that for structures supporting other modes of transportation, eroding the boundary between the permanent and temporary construction. An airport might have multiple separate "unit terminals", in order, for example to separate
2996-411: Is generally promoted by the airlines to passengers as being easier and faster because it reduces the time a passenger would normally spend at an airport check-in counter. Some airlines, however, would still require passengers to proceed to a check-in counter at the airport, regardless of preferred check-in method, for document verification (e.g., to travel to countries where a visa is required, or to ensure
3103-400: Is offered on the airline's website not earlier than 24 hours before a flight's scheduled departure or seven days for Internet Check-In Assistant. However, some airlines allow a longer time, such as easyJet , which opens it 30 days beforehand. Depending on the airline, there can be benefits of better seating or upgrades to first class or business class offered to the first people to check in for
3210-438: Is prescribed by the airline and anything in excess may be refused or warrant additional surcharges, at the airline’s discretion. Some airlines have a self-check-in process allowing passengers with bags to check-in at Self Bag Drop machines. Passengers then attach the baggage tag and drop the bag at the baggage drop belt. Passengers without checked luggage can go straight to the lounge (if entitled to lounge access) and check in at
3317-405: Is the main opportunity within the airport for architects to express themselves and a key element of the airport design. Brian Edwards compares the architectural role of the terminal in the airport to the one of a mall within a small town. Historically, airports were built in a variety of architectural styles , with the selection depending on the country: The concrete boxes of terminals built in
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3424-425: Is the process whereby an airline approves airplane passengers to board an airplane for a flight. Airlines typically use service counters found at airports for this process, and the check-in is normally handled by an airline itself or a handling agent working on behalf of an airline. Passengers usually hand over any baggage that they do not wish or are not allowed to carry in the aircraft 's cabin and receive
3531-581: Is used at Boston Logan International Airport 's Terminal E. This table below lists the top airport terminals throughout the world with the largest amount of floor area, with usable floor space across multiple stories of at least 400,000 m (4,300,000 sq ft). Many small and mid-size airports have a single, two, or three-lane one-way loop road which is used by local private vehicles and buses to drop off and pick up passengers. A large hub airport often has two grade-separated one-way loop roads , one for departures and one for arrivals. It may have
3638-519: The Centre Pompidou , an earlier project that has similar flexibility in its use of space. BAA formally announced its proposal for construction of Terminal 5 in May 1992, submitting a formal planning application on 17 February 1993. A public inquiry into the proposals began on 16 May 1995 and lasted nearly four years, finally ending on 17 March 1999 after sitting for 525 days. The inquiry, based at
3745-524: The Heathrow Airside Road Tunnel , which is not available for public traffic. The bus and coach station in the frontal building is served by a number of bus and coach services, including long-distance National Express coach service, "The Airline" service running from Oxford, RailAir buses, local public bus services, shuttle buses to airport hotels, long term car parking and car hire lots, and staff shuttle buses. Because Terminal 5
3852-581: The Longford River and the Duke of Northumberland's River , originally ran through the middle of the site. Most of the terminal is in the ecclesiastical parish of Harmondsworth. The southern section, including the railway station , is in the ecclesiastical parish of Stanwell . The whole area is in the London Borough of Hillingdon . One of the most time-critical civil engineering sub-projects of
3959-482: The interwar period in the major transportation nodes (London, Paris, Berlin) were converted military airfields ( London Terminal Aerodrome , Croydon Aerodrome , Great West Aerodrome , Le Bourget , Tempelhof ) and lacked the spaces for the actual passengers. US, on the other hand, lacked the war infrastructure and had to build the airports from scratch, mostly following the "hangar-depot" building type where, staff, passengers, and airplanes were all accommodated inside
4066-404: The 1960s and 1970s generally gave way to glass boxes in the 1990s and 2000s, with the best terminals making a vague stab at incorporating ideas of "light" and "air"'. However, some, such as Baghdad International Airport and Denver International Airport, are monumental in stature, while others are considered architectural masterpieces, such as Terminal 1 at Charles de Gaulle Airport , near Paris ,
4173-422: The 5A, 5B and 5C buildings. The Transit uses Bombardier Innovia APM 200 vehicles and operates exclusively airside , and is thus only available to passengers and other authorised personnel. The Transit can accommodate up to 6,000 passengers per hour and the trains run at 50 kilometres per hour (31 mph) with a journey time of 45 seconds. Passengers descend to the station via a pair of escalators "thought to be
4280-646: The Renaissance Hotel Heathrow, was the longest planning inquiry ever held in the UK. Finally, more than eight years after the initial planning application, Secretary of State for Transport Stephen Byers announced on 20 November 2001 the British government's decision to grant planning permission for the building of a fifth passenger terminal at Heathrow. Construction, which was undertaken by Laing O'Rourke , began in September 2002, with earthworks for
4387-431: The Terminal 5 complex and is the largest free-standing building in the United Kingdom. Its four storeys are covered by a single-span undulating steel frame roof, with glass façades angled at 6.5 degrees to the vertical. The area covered by the roof is the size of five football pitches, and each section weighs 2,200 tonnes. T5A contains a check-in hall, a departure lounge with retail stores and other passenger services, and
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4494-518: The Terminal's construction programme was the diversion of the Longford River and Duke of Northumberland's River around the western perimeter of the airport. This was a complex scheme, which involved not only the re-routing of the two rivers but also the realignment of the A3044 dual carriageway and Western Perimeter Road. The challenge was complicated by strict time constraints and the proximity of
4601-474: The airfield. For example, Air France checked in passengers at the Invalides Air Terminal ( Aérogare des Invalides ) from 1946 to 1961, when all passengers started checking in at the airport. The Air Terminal continued in service as the boarding point for airline buses until 2016. Chicago's O'Hare International Airport 's innovative design pioneered concepts such as direct highway access to
4708-450: The airplanes (via gates ) are typically called concourses . However, the terms "terminal" and "concourse" are sometimes used interchangeably, depending on the configuration of the airport. Smaller airports have one terminal while larger airports have several terminals and/or concourses. At small airports, a single terminal building typically serves all of the functions of a terminal and a concourse. Larger airports might have one terminal that
4815-426: The airport terminal." The first airfields, built in the early 20th century, did not have passengers and thus did not need the terminals. Large facilities were built, however, to house the fragile and inventive airships of the time protecting them from elements and industrial spies . Still, some of the concept architectural designs resembled the modern terminal buildings: Erich Mendelsohn ’s sketch (1914) contained
4922-467: The airport, concourses, and jetbridges ; these designs are now seen at most airports worldwide. When London Stansted Airport's new terminal opened in 1991, it marked a shift in airport terminal design since Norman Foster placed the baggage handling system in the basement in order to create a vast open interior space. Airport architects have followed this model since unobstructed sightlines aid with passenger orientation. In some cases, architects design
5029-465: The arrangement is prone to slowing down the embarkation and disembarkation as well as accidental damage to the planes. A particularly unusual design was employed at Berlin Tegel Airport 's Terminal A. Consisting of an hexagonal-shaped ring around a courtyard, five of the outer walls were airside and fitted with jet bridges, while the sixth (forming the entrance), along with the inner courtyard,
5136-402: The building beyond the scope of the original needs. The original Le Bourget design was corrected by Georges Labro [ fr ] in 1936–1937, with the new Modernist single-terminal layout following ideas of not-yet-unfinished Tempelhof (but without covered access to the planes) and Croydon. New York's LaGuardia Airport ( Delano and Aldrich , 1939) contained many features common in
5243-596: The check-in counter to the gate (up to half a mile in the cases of Kansai International Airport or Lisbon Portela Airport 's Terminal 1). Most large international airports have piers, O'Hare Airport in Chicago and Hartsfield Airport in Atlanta were able to process 45 million passengers per year using this layout in the 1970s. Remote pier layout consist of multiple concourses that are connected by automatic people movers located underground or overhead. Once arrived on
5350-475: The concourse, passengers get on the planes as usual. This layout, after its first appearance at Hartsfield, was used at Stansted Airport in UK and, with an adequate people-moving system, is considered to be very efficient for the airport hubs with high percentage of transfer passengers. A satellite terminal is a round- or star-shaped building detached from other airport buildings, so that aircraft can park around its entire circumference. The first airport to use
5457-400: The construction of the buildings' foundation. A preparatory archaeological dig at the site found more than 80,000 artefacts. In November of the following year, work started on the steel superstructure of the main terminal building. By January 2005, the nine tunnels needed to provide road and rail access, and to provide drainage, were completed. In March that year, the sixth and final section of
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#17327760465285564-413: The convex side and cars on the other. This design still requires long walks for connecting passengers, but greatly reduces travel times between check-in and the aircraft. A pier design uses a small, narrow building with aircraft parked on both sides. One end connects to a ticketing and baggage claim area. Piers offer high aircraft capacity and simplicity of design, but often result in a long distance from
5671-475: The courtyard on the same level, where short-stay parking and taxi-pickup were located. Vehicles could enter and exit via a road underpass underneath the terminal building entrance. For flights using jet-bridges and passengers arriving or leaving by private transport, this resulted in extremely short walking distances of just a few tens of metres between vehicles and the plane, with only a slightly longer walk for public transport connections. A downside of this design
5778-528: The credit card used to purchase is genuine and/or matches the identity of the person who made the purchase). If passengers need to continue the check-in process at the airport after performing an online check-in, a special lane is typically offered to them to reduce wait times unless all desks are designated as baggage drop-off points. Furthermore, online check-in for a flight is often available earlier than its in-person counterpart. The process then transfers to passengers' control over their check-in. Airlines may use
5885-677: The departures level on the third floor by lift or escalator from the interchange plaza. Upon entering the departures concourse, passengers see views across Heathrow and the surrounding area, and are in a space that is unobstructed to the rising roof above. After check-in and security screening, the airside departure lounge also provides views across the airport, its runways and beyond. There are 53 gates numbered A1-A23, B32-B48 and C52-C66. All are equipped with jetbridges except for gates A4 and A10 which are coaching gates. A number of jet bridge equipped gates can also be used for coaching departures if required. British Airways maintains offices overlooking
5992-472: The entrance/exit of each jet bridge lied at the boundary of the two areas. Two or three passport control booths were located close to the end of the jet bridge for arriving passengers (causing passengers to queue into the bridge and plane itself) and passengers left the arrivals area unsegregated from departing passengers into the same landside ring-concourse, emerging next to the check-in desks. This allowed both arriving and departing passengers immediate access to
6099-417: The excessive area of airport apron required and difficult remodeling for new aircraft designs had reduced its popularity. Los Angeles International Airport , in particular, switched from satellite terminals to pier layout in the 1980s. Idea of a large airport using specially build vehicles to connect the passengers to the planes was driven by the desire to reduce time spent by the planes getting to and from
6206-520: The first plane hijacking occurred in the 1931 (in Peru ). The 1960s brought the waves of terrorism and the tight security based on the ICAO recommendations. By the 1990s both passengers and luggage were routinely screened for weapons and explosive devices. The old floorplans of terminals were frequently inadequate (and structures not strong enough to carry the weight of the new equipment), so extensive redesign
6313-405: The flight for passengers who pay for a seat reservation. In the mid-late 2000s, checking in was made possible using a passenger's mobile phone or PDA . A GPRS or 4G-capable smartphone or an internet-capable PDA is required in most instances (Finnair allows check-in by text message), and the check-in feature may be accessed by keying in a website on the mobile phone's browser or by downloading
6420-467: The gate of the flight they serve. Checked-in passengers then entered airside via a short passage situated immediately to the side of the check-in desk, passed (for non-Schengen flights) a single passport control booth (with officers sat in the same area as check-in staff), followed by a single security lane which terminated at the gate's waiting area behind. Pairs of gates shared the same seating area, with small kiosks for duty-free and refreshments making up
6527-665: The increase in passenger numbers. This has involved widening of the M25 motorway , the construction of new branches of both the Heathrow Express and the London Underground Piccadilly line , and connection to the Elizabeth line , opened in 2022. The London Underground , Elizabeth line , and Heathrow Express all provide rail connections to Terminal 5, all using Heathrow Terminal 5 station , beneath
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#17327760465286634-432: The international travel from the domestic one, or provide the separate airlines with the ability to offer their own terminals. The unit terminals might use similar design ( Dallas-Fort Worth Airport ) or be completely different ( Pearson International Airport ). Use of multiple terminals typically requires an extensive network of automatic people movers . Terminals perform three main functions: Just like entire airports,
6741-432: The kiosk there using their ePass (a small RFID device only for its premium customers) or proceed straight to the departure gate. Many airlines use electronic check-in such as ePass, mPass, or similar mobile apps, and these applications serve as the boarding pass. More and more airlines are also allowing the use of electronic bag tags, which replace the traditional paper tags with a digital version that can be updated via
6848-594: The lack of separation between the boarding and deplaning passengers). The movable covered ways (precursors of the modern jet bridges ) were experimented with in the 1930s. The Boeing 's United Airport in Burbank, California featured retractable canopies already in the 1930. The tubes first appeared in the 1936 terminal at the London South Airport . The circular terminal design included six telescopic rectangular in section tubes for passengers, moving over
6955-549: The largest in Europe in an open environment". The escalators are also the longest in the United Kingdom, longer than those at Angel Underground station on the London Underground , which had held the title since 1992. A proposal for the construction of a Western Rail Approach to Heathrow , a railway link connecting Heathrow Terminal 5 to the Great Western Main Line , was suspended in 2020 pending
7062-515: The longest public inquiry in British history. The possibility of a fifth terminal at Heathrow emerged as early as 1982, when there was debate over whether the expansion of Stansted or the expansion of Heathrow (advocated by BA) was the way forward for the UK aviation industry. Planning studies for the terminal began in February 1988 and Richard Rogers Partnership was selected to design the terminal in 1989. Richard Rogers compared his design to
7169-420: The longest in the United Kingdom – previously this record had been held by Angel station on the London Underground , which had held the title since 1992 . In a level below the APM are pedestrian walkways, which were opened for passenger use in 2015. Unlike most airport terminals, the main terminal building does not have direct road access. Instead it is fronted by a six-level frontal building, which contains
7276-832: The main Terminal 5 passenger handling areas, designed so that staff can have, in the words of Aviation Transport Weekly , a "visual connection to customers". When Terminal 5 opened on 27 March 2008, British Airways staff, including crew check-in staff, relocated from the Compass Centre to Terminal 5. London based interior designer Katharine Pooley was commissioned to design the interior of the Windsor Suite which receives and hosts VIPs. In April 2023, Heathrow proposed renaming Terminal 5 as "The King's Terminal" after King Charles III to celebrate his coronation , similar to Terminal 2 being named "The Queen's Terminal" after his mother Queen Elizabeth II. However, King Charles declined
7383-817: The main terminal at Washington Dulles in Virginia , or the TWA Flight Center at New York's JFK Airport. A few are designed to reflect the culture of a particular area, some examples being the terminal at Albuquerque International Sunport in New Mexico , which is designed in the Pueblo Revival style popularized by architect John Gaw Meem , as well as the terminal at Bahías de Huatulco International Airport in Huatulco , Oaxaca , Mexico, which features some palapas that are interconnected to form
7490-444: The main terminal building) and skybridges at level 5 (departures level). The combination of the two buildings with the linking walkways creates a series of open courtyards. One of these courtyards is occupied by the access structures for the railway station below; others contain a dancing fountain and a grove of 40 London planes , and are accessible to passengers and other visitors. At the time of its design Terminal 5's proposed height
7597-421: The main terminal building. The railway station also has two additional platforms for use by a proposed westward railway connection (proposal suspended pending finance). Heathrow Express provides an express service to Paddington station in central London, stopping only at Heathrow stations (T5, and T2/T3 ). Trains run every 15 minutes and the journey time to Paddington is 21 minutes. Premium fares are charged for
7704-464: The main terminal roof was lifted into position, and in December the building was made weatherproof. The roof could not have been lifted with conventional cranes because it would have vertically intersected with the airport's radar field. Therefore, the roof was assembled on the ground using smaller cranes, then lifted into place by eight custom-built towers, each fitted with two hydraulic jacks to pull
7811-432: The modern designs: two-level layout for separation between departing and arriving passengers, "spine" concourse extending to the both sides of the building, "dispatcher booths" as precursors to the airport gates . Tempelhof faced a contemporary critique for its cantilevered roofs intended to protect the planes and passengers − but wasteful in terms of construction and limiting the future aircraft designs (in addition to
7918-670: The newer Elizabeth line (since 2022), connecting to central London with a few stops faster than the Piccadilly line, and to destinations beyond London to the west and to the east. Fares are lower than the Heathrow Express, although a supplement to the standard Underground fare is charged. The Piccadilly line of the London Underground provides a slower service every ten minutes through central London to Cockfosters , stopping at many stations and with connections to
8025-468: The offer due to environmental concerns. Terminal 5B was the first satellite building to be built. Terminal 5C is the second satellite building, opening unofficially on 20 May 2011, with official opening on 1 June 2011, in conjunction with the relaunch of British Airways service to San Diego. Terminal 5B measures 442 metres (1,450 ft) long by 52 metres (171 ft) wide and 19.5 metres (64 ft) high, and contains 37 lifts and 29 escalators . There
8132-405: The only airside commercial offerings. Thus, other than the adjacent gate, passengers could not move around the terminal airside and there was no central waiting lounge and retail area for departures. Individual rooms for arrivals, likewise serving a pair of gates, each contained a single baggage carousel and were alternately situated in between each pair of departure gates on the same level, such that
8239-436: The original credit card used for payment. At the time of check-in, the passenger hands over baggage which is checked by the airport security and may be sealed (subject to the security regulations in that country). Anything that is above the weight limit or which is not allowed to be carried by the passenger themselves in the aircraft cabin is usually handed over to the agent at the time of check-in. The baggage allowance, if any,
8346-512: The other intended for the spectators, with a grandstand and restaurants in an arrangement similar to the one used for the racetracks . The shows also featured occasional passenger flights. The other template of a terminal was provided by the first airline, the German DELAG that featured sheds for Zeppelins combined with passenger spaces close to the centers of cities, like the railroad stations. The first European passenger airports of
8453-565: The passenger often has the ability to ask for special accommodations such as seating preferences, inquire about flight or destination information, accumulate frequent flyer program miles, or pay for upgrades. The airline check-in's main function, however, is to accept luggage that is to go in the aircraft's cargo hold and issue boarding passes. The required time is sometimes written in the reservation, sometimes written somewhere in websites, and sometimes only referred as "passengers should allow sufficient time for check-in". In-town check-in service
8560-463: The priority check-in service "SkyPriority", whose members could access the check-in counter to authorize the prioritized check-in service, along with the larger luggage capacity. In some cities (including Dubai, Sharjah, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, New Delhi, Chennai, Seoul, Vienna and Taipei), certain airlines provide in-town check-in services, allowing passengers to check their luggage at check-in counters located in railway or subway terminals as much as
8667-417: The project. It involved much moving and planting of river wildlife and plants. The Terminal 5 complex includes several buildings, a new control tower and a railway station. The main terminal building is referred to as Terminal 5A. There are two satellite buildings, Terminal 5B and Terminal 5C. At the time of opening, Terminal 5A and Terminal 5B were completed, whilst Terminal 5C, which was built by Carillion ,
8774-489: The public that things were working normally. The Terminal 5 building is on a 260-hectare (640-acre) site on the western side of the airport, between the western ends of the northern and southern runways. The site was previously occupied by the Perry Oaks sewage works and an area of smallholdings called Burrows Hill Close Estate, and is east of the M25 motorway ; see also Heathrow (hamlet) . Two artificial watercourses,
8881-754: The rails. The terminal at London South (now known as Gatwick Airport ) also featured the first direct rail link connection (to the London Victoria Station ). The rail ticket was included with the airfare . The system for early separation of departing passengers from their luggage (check-in desk) was introduced in the Speke Airport in Liverpool (1937–1938). It remains a key element of design of most passenger terminals ever since. Some airlines checked in their passengers at downtown terminals, and had their own transportation facilities to
8988-408: The roof up. At peak there were around 8,000 people working on the construction site, whilst over the life of the project over 60,000 people were involved in the construction. Over 15,000 volunteers were recruited for a total of 68 trials lasting from September 2007 until March 2008 to test the operational readiness of Terminal 5 prior to its opening. Queen Elizabeth II officially opened Terminal 5 in
9095-500: The second quarter of 1999, and was available to the general public on selected flights the following quarter. Since then, a growing number of airlines have introduced the system. British Airways were the first airline to deploy online check-in globally having sealed approval from both the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority and FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) for use of the 3-D Barcode technology. Typically, web-based check-in for airline travel
9202-538: The service to Paddington. However no fares are charged for the journey to Heathrow Central, which provides access to Terminals 2 & 3, to the Heathrow Airport Central bus station , and to the Elizabeth line semi-fast rail service to Paddington. Terminal 4 can be reached by changing trains to the free-of-charge Heathrow Express Shuttle service at Heathrow Central. Heathrow Terminal 5 is served by
9309-434: The short-stay car parking in front of the main terminal, Terminal 5 is also served by separate business and long-term car parks. These are accessed from the airport's perimeter road and are some distance from the terminal. The long-term car park is linked to the terminal by bus, and the business car park is served by an elevated personal rapid transit system (see below). The terminal is also connected to Terminals 1, 2 and 3 by
9416-468: The south. A dedicated motorway spur has been built from the M25 between junctions 14 and 15 to the terminal. The spur also connects to the airport's perimeter road, and provides direct connections to the frontal building at ground level (for bus station and taxi rank), level 4 (for car parking) and level 5 (for departure set down). The car parking on levels 1 to 3 is accessed from a series of spiral ramps that descend from level 4 to ground level. Besides
9523-426: The staff at check-in or scanned at the kiosks to continue the check-in process (i.e., to have boarding passes issued). One disadvantage of early check-in is that it puts a restriction on a person's agent changing their flight. As the ticket coupon has to be reset back to OPEN again prior to any changes being made, this may take some time to arrange. If the passenger carries a first or business class ticket or presents
9630-483: The system because self-service is frequently more efficient to operate, with a greater ability to cope with surges in passenger numbers. It also lessens activity at the airport, saving airlines money and reducing passenger waiting times. Ryanair charges passengers a fee which can amount to 60 Euros for not using online check-in, except in certain limited circumstances. Furthermore, by the start of 2010, all passengers were required to check in online, therefore abolishing
9737-433: The terminal architecture. The functions that are performed on the landside, like ticketing and check-in, are relatively stable, while the airside is subject to rapid technological and operational changes. Victor Marquez suggests that the boundary is not really an integral part of the airport functions, but a "socio-technical construct" that has gradually shaped the thinking of architects and planners. The passenger terminal
9844-570: The terminal dates to 1960s. The bodies of the so-called mobile lounges can be raised to match the height of the terminal and airplane exit doors (much earlier designs used regular apron buses , for example, in the Milan's Linate Airport , but the passengers in this case had to climb up and down the airstairs ). While used in the Washington Dulles International Airport and King Abdulaziz International Airport ,
9951-404: The terminal's ceiling and flooring with cues that suggest the required directional flow. For instance, at Toronto Pearson's Terminal 1 Moshe Safdie included skylights for wayfinding purposes. Originally, the airport terminals were secured the same way as the rail stations, with local police guarding against the common crimes, like pickpocketing. The industry-specific crimes were rare, although
10058-410: The terminals are divided into landside and airside zones. Typically passengers and staff must be checked by airport security , and/or customs / border control before being permitted to enter the airside zone. Conversely, passengers arriving from an international flight must pass through border control and customs to access the landside area. The landside-airside boundary became the defining element of
10165-442: The terminals switch to the "linear" layout, where the planes are located next to an elongated building and passengers use jet bridges to walk on board. The design places limit on the number of gates, as the walkability requirement dictates the total length of the building (including the "spine" concourses) to be less than 1 ⁄ 2 mile. Some airports use a linear structure bent into a semicircular shape, with aircraft parked on
10272-523: The time of check-in, an option of selecting a specific seat is offered, with passengers asked if they prefer a window or an aisle seat. Online check-in is the process in which passengers confirm their presence on a flight via the Internet and typically print their own boarding passes. Depending on the carrier and the specific flight, passengers may also enter details such as meal options and baggage quantities and select their preferred seating. This service
10379-405: The use of check-in desks. Despite this, passengers are still charged to print their boarding cards out. Online check-in is increasingly becoming required in other legacy carriers, particularly in Europe as the airport check-in desks are being relegated as baggage drop points only. Alaska Airlines was the first to offer online check-in. The system was first offered on a limited basis starting in
10486-486: The whole London Underground network. Journey time to central London is about an hour, depending on destination. The Piccadilly line is integrated into the Transport for London fare system, with lower fares than other rail options. Terminal 5 is also served by RailAir express buses, which link the terminal's bus station (see below) with Reading station for rail services to the west, and Woking station for services to
10593-605: The works to local residents. Further restrictions to site activities resulted from the overhead flight path from both runways. 95% of the diverted rivers were placed in two open man-made channels 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) in length, compared with only 50% of the original rivers which were conveyed beneath the runways in culverts. The Twin Rivers Diversion scheme achieved a Civil Engineering Environmental Quality ( CEEQUAL ) Award for its ability to maintain high environmental standards and quality during design and construction of
10700-518: Was landside. Although superficially resembling a satellite design insofar as aircraft could park around most of the structure, it was in fact a self-contained terminal which unlike a satellite did not depend on remote buildings for facilities such as check-in, security controls, arrivals etc. Especially unique were its exceptionally short walking distances and lack of any central area for security, passport control, arrivals or transfer. Instead, individual check-in counters are located immediately in front of
10807-495: Was not able to operate its full schedule from Terminal 5 until 8 April 2008 and had to postpone the transfer of its long-haul flights from Terminal 4 to Terminal 5. The difficulties were later blamed on a number of problems with the terminal's IT systems, coupled with car parking. These resulted in the sacking of BA's director of operations Gareth Kirkwood , and director of customer services David Noyes. Four months after opening, British Airways launched an advertising campaign to assure
10914-598: Was processing the passengers through a reused aircraft hangar, and a new classical terminal was built in Croydon in 1928. In the US, by 1931 the first airport in Chicago (now Midway Airport ) had its own Art Deco terminal building. Sagebiel's Tempelhof had an appearance of a major railway terminus and housed, like many other European airports, great restaurants. The design survived for more than 60 years, highly unusual for an airport due to Sagebiel being prescient and oversizing
11021-474: Was relocated to Terminal 4 in November 2022. Terminal 5 handles not only international flights, but also UK and Irish flights like Terminal 2 unlike Terminal 3 and 4. Loganair was planning to use this terminal to codeshare with British Airways, but uses Terminal 2 rather than Terminal 5 due to the amount of space used at Terminal 5. The transport network around the airport has been extended to cope with
11128-618: Was required. Passenger garages integrated into the terminals were moved out to reduce the potential effects of the car bombs . Time spent by passengers at the airports greatly increased, causing the need for additional space. Early airport terminals opened directly onto the tarmac : passengers would simply walk to their aircraft, a so-called " open apron " layout. This simple design is still common among smaller airports. For larger airports, like Kansas City International Airport , Munich Airport and Charles de Gaulle Airport , allowing many passenger to walk across tarmac becomes unfeasible, so
11235-429: Was so tall that it would have blocked runway views from Heathrow Airport's then control tower. Therefore, before construction began on the terminal building, a new taller air traffic control tower was constructed. Costing £50 million, it was assembled off-site before being manoeuvred into position within the central terminal area near to Heathrow Terminal 3 during 2004. This control tower weighs nearly 1000 tons and
11342-869: Was to move 12 of its long-haul flights to Terminal 3, and 6 of its short haul flights from Terminal 3 to Terminal 5. Since March 2012, International Airlines Group subsidiary Iberia has operated from Terminal 5, apart from a temporary relocation to Terminal 3 from 12 July 2022 until 31 May 2023. During the COVID-19 pandemic, several Oneworld members other than British Airways and Iberia also used this terminal. American Airlines moved into Terminal 5 on 7 July 2020, but has since moved back to Terminal 3 on 12 July 2022. On 27 July 2020, Qatar Airways moved into Terminal 5, but moved back to Terminal 4 on 14 June 2022. On 29 July 2020, Japan Airlines moved into Terminal 5. It has since moved back to Terminal 3. China Southern Airlines previously operated from this terminal until it
11449-466: Was under construction and scheduled to open later in May 2010; however it only opened in June 2011. The whole complex is fronted by a separate building containing road transport facilities. Within the complex there are more than 100 shops and restaurants. The main terminal building is 396 metres (1,299 ft) long, 176 metres (577 ft) wide and 40 metres (130 ft) tall. It is the largest building in
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