Heathrow - terminals, stations, and names

[Chris M]

May 14, 2018 16:23:49 GMT Dstock7080 said:

Heathrow name was changed on the maps from January 2016.

May 24, 2018 11:23:54 GMT Dstock7080 said:

Just found from internal source that station was officially renamed on 20 May 2018 to “Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3”, station signage to be updated ‘soon’.

May 24, 2018 12:22:19 GMT silenthunter said:

Won't they need to rename that again at some point, as they're combining T1-T3 into a single terminal?

May 24, 2018 12:41:21 GMT Dstock7080 said:

In the longer term yes.
The main T2 building is to be extended across the site of the yet-to-be demolished T1.
Then T3 is to make way for more satellite buildings of T5

May 24, 2018 15:02:22 GMT norbitonflyer said:

The oldest terminal was the original Terminal 2, which didn't acquire (or need) a distinguishing name until Terminal 1 was built. T2 was demolished first, and the new Terminal 2 put in its place, the plan being to progressively extend it into the sites of Terminals 1 and 3 into one big superterminal.

May 24, 2018 15:14:05 GMT Dstock7080 said:

Terminal 2 opened as the "Europa Building" in 1955.
the second to open in 1961 was the "Oceanic Building", later to become Terminal 3
third to open was Terminal 1, in 1968.

Heathrow timeline

May 24, 2018 15:30:18 GMT Ben said:

They'd have been better off going back to Heathrow Central - a clear enough way of saying 'everything but 4 or 5' without being specific.

Ben I agree, especially as the complex of terminals in the centre of the airport is known as the Central Terminal Area. Terminal 4 could then logically be Heathrow South and T5 Heathrow West. Although numbers may be easier for non-native speakers?

[phoenixcronin]

Isn't some sort of Terminal 6 supposed to open with 3rd runway?

[norbitonflyer]

May 24, 2018 18:08:43 GMT Chris M said:

Terminal 4 could then logically be Heathrow South and T5 Heathrow West. Although numbers may be easier for non-native speakers?

There is a distinct advantage in keeping numbers - visitors to Britain often can't recall the name of the airport (or even realise there are more than one) but will usually know the terminal. And Gatwick uses points of the compass. This is why taxi drivers always ask you which terminal you want as soon as you say airport.

[Chris M]

May 24, 2018 18:15:17 GMT phoenixcronin said:

Isn't some sort of Terminal 6 supposed to open with 3rd runway?

That was the original plan, but this has been changed in at least one more recent version to expansion of T5 instead as part of a package of measures to reduce capital costs.