Heathrow Airport
Posted by vcode on 24 Oct 2008 at 05:21 am | Tagged as: Historical Places, London
Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow (IATA: LHR, ICAO: EGLL) is one of the busiest airports in the world.
The airport is owned and operated by BAA[3] which is owned by the Spanish Ferrovial Group. The airport is also a primary hub of British Airways and a major hub for rivals bmi and Virgin Atlantic.
Heathrow started in the 1930s as the Great Western Aerodrome. Privately owned by Fairey Aviation, it was used primarily for aircraft assembly and testing.
In 1944 Heathrow came under the control of the Ministry of Air. In 1953, the first concrete slab of the first modern runway was ceremonially placed by Queen Elizabeth II.
In 1977, the London Underground was extended to Heathrow; connecting the airport with Central London in just under an hour via the Piccadilly Line.
Now, Heathrow is used by over 90 airlines which fly to around 170 destinations worldwide (see Airlines and destinations below). Of the airport’s 67 million annual passengers, 11% travel to UK destinations, 43% are short-haul international travellers, and 46% are long-haul. The airport currently has four passenger terminals (Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 4) and a cargo terminal.
