When the world’s largest passenger aircraft arrives at the world’s busiest

international   airport next year,  it will pull up to a brand new

state-of-the-art building designed specifically to meet the needs of the

A380.

Today, the first complete gate room at Pier 6 is being unveiled.  It is one

of four gate rooms that will make-up the new 280 metre long glass-fronted

building   and represents a significant step forward in the ongoing

transformation of BAA Heathrow.

 

Robert Swan,  BAA Heathrow’s Major Projects Director commented: “Today’s

unveiling of a completed gate room demonstrates Heathrow’s readiness for

the A380,  as well as its commitment to meeting the demands of a 21st

Century airport.  Whilst significant investment is being made in T5, we

have been spending £300m per year on improving the rest of the airport and

Pier 6 is a perfect illustration of this investment.

 

Swan continued:  “The A380 represents a new dawn in aviation history and

Heathrow is spending £450m to ensure we are ready for it.  We know that

people will be very excited about their journey when they arrive at

Heathrow and we’ve built a brand new building, known as Pier 6, that will

take them to the aircraft, offering spectacular views of the runway and the

aircraft itself.

 

“The investment we are making underscores the importance of the A380 to the

future of Heathrow.  It is the most exciting development in aviation for

over 30 years and will allow us to make more efficient use of both our busy

runways.”

 

Heathrow will be one of the first airports in the world ready for the A380.

Runways have been widened, taxiways have been moved, new baggage belts have

been installed and lights repositioned.  Two dedicated stands at Terminal 4

are also being built and some of the stands at Terminal 5 will be able to

accommodate larger generation aircraft.
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