Heathrow Terminal 3
| Heathrow Terminal 3 | |
|---|---|
Entrance to the departures area at Terminal 3
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 Location within Greater London
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| Alternative names | The Oceanic Terminal |
| General information | |
| Type | Airport terminal |
| Coordinates | 51°28′15″N 0°27′36″W / 51.470833°N 0.46°WCoordinates: 51°28′15″N 0°27′36″W / 51.470833°N 0.46°W |
| Inaugurated | 13 November 1961 |
| Renovated | 1987-1990 2007 |
| Client | Heathrow Airport Holdings |
Heathrow Terminal 3 is an airport terminal at Heathrow Airport, serving London, the capital city of the United Kingdom. Terminal 3 is currently used by Oneworld members and a few other non-affiliated airlines. It is also the base for Virgin Atlantic.
Opened as The Oceanic Terminal on 13 November 1961, it was built to handle flight departures for long-haul routes. At this time, the airport had a direct helicopter service to Central London from the gardens on the roof of the terminal building. Renamed Terminal 3 in 1968, it was expanded in 1970 with the addition of an arrivals building. Other facilities added included the UK's first moving walkways. Pan Am and TWA dominated terminal 3 throughout the 1960s and 1970s. in 1969 the terminal was renovated to handle the new Boeing 747 which was introduced to the airport on January 23rd 1970. Pan Am sold its Heathrow landing rights to United Airlines in 1990 and TWA sold its to American Airlines in 1992.
The terminal was refurbished between 1987 and 1990 at a cost of £110 million. In 2006, the new £105 million Pier 6 was completed to accommodate the Airbus A380 superjumbo; Emirates and Qantas now operate regular flights from Terminal 3 using the Airbus A380. Redevelopment of Terminal 3's forecourt through the addition of a new four lane drop-off area and a large pedestrianised plaza, complete with canopy to the front of the terminal building, was completed in 2007. These improvements were intended to improve passengers' experiences, reduce traffic congestion and improve security. As part of this project, Virgin Atlantic was assigned its own dedicated check-in area, known as 'Zone A', which features a large sculpture and atrium. As of 2013, Terminal 3 has an area of 98,962 square metres (1,065,220 sq ft).
Heathrow Airport Limited also has plans for a £1bn upgrade of the rest of the terminal over the next ten years which will include the renovation of aircraft piers and the arrivals forecourt. A new baggage system connecting to Terminal 5 (for British Airways connections) is currently under construction. In addition to the baggage system, the baggage claim hall is also set to undergo changes with dedicated A380 belts and an improved design and layout.
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