London airport curiosities – Heathrow
Today, we are looking at some curiosities you might not have known about Heathrow Airport, the fifth-busiest airport in the world and the busiest in the United Kingdom.
Location, history, and expansion
Being closest to Central London, Heathrow Airport is the perfect place to arrive by car in the Borough of Hillingdon. Only a stone’s throw from West London, Surrey, and Windsor, it offers fantastic connections by road.
This proximity to residential areas has to do with the fact that Heathrow Airport was founded as an airfield in 1929 when said neighborhoods weren’t as densely populated as they are today. It became London’s first civil airport in 1946; thus, it celebrated its 70th anniversary earlier this year.
The airport is conveniently situated, particularly for those who don’t fancy a long commute before taking their scheduled flight.
Heathrow Airport has two parallel runways, facilitating the smooth arrival and departure of the hundreds of flights that pass through it daily. There have been plans to build a third runway, but these plans haven’t been consolidated. Heathrow Airport consists of five terminal buildings, only four of which are currently in service, while one is undergoing refurbishment and rebranding.
A VIP Airport
In addition to the terminals above, Heathrow Airport has a tiny extra terminal that only operates on special occasions. The Royal Family, authorities, heads of state, and sometimes celebrities fly in and out of this sixth terminal at Heathrow Airport.
At the same time, VIP lounges can be found in all terminals, regularly welcoming notorious celebrities, be they actors, politicians, or musicians. This has to do with the very broad range of destinations that connect to Heathrow, as well as the selection of high-end airlines that serve its runways, such as Etihad (the first to offer a private suite to fly in, fully fitted with a private toilet), British Airways and Qantas.
Curious facts
According to Londontopia, one bottle of Chanel nº5 perfume is sold in the airport duty-free shops every five minutes! A Harrods store can also be found on the premises.
Should you have an emergency at the airport, you might be comforted that a squad of trained first-aiders patrol the airport 24/7 and will arrive wherever you are… by bike!
Heathrow Airport also receives cargo flights worldwide, just like conventional passenger flights. All major cargo airlines fly in and out of Heathrow. This mysterious part of the airport is not visible to most of us, but a fascinating industry nonetheless.
Finally, if you travel with pets, you will be happy to know that Heathrow’s Animal Reception Centre (HARC) is one of the best equipped in the UK, mainly due to the great volume of animals that travel through it yearly. They not only specialise in ensuring a comfortable stay for dogs and cats, but also horses, birds and fish.
How to get there
Although trains and buses serve Heathrow regularly and reliably, the easiest way to arrive is arguably by car, as this airport is conveniently located very near Central London and boasts excellent road connections to the city, with easy access from the M4, the A4 road (from the West), the M25 (which surrounds Greater London), and the A3 from the South.
Heathrow Airport is equipped with safe forecourts, which make it exceptionally easy to be dropped off. In fact, all terminals have designated drop-off-only areas, which means passengers can be dropped off directly at the terminal.
Have a safe flight to your dream destination or a successful business trip.
