Further to my post earlier today describing our premiere airport as an armpit, to which some have taken umbrage, and further to my post earlier this year on our appalling record on grand projets, I point out the following:
- Terminal 2 is going to be demolished this coming year, 2009
- Terminal 1 is to be demolished soon thereafter (along with the Queen's Building, an administrative building)
- At a cost of £1.5 billion, they shall be replaced by "Heathrow East" - with a projected completion date in 2012. Even if it's completed on schedule and operates on time - which would be unprecedented in British projects - what will happen with passenger flow in the duration is... unclear. (Do remember that, unlike every other airport, Heathrow already operates at 98% flight capacity - no slack to be taken up elsewhere).
- When it's gloriously completed, Heathrow East will have a passenger capacity a full five million, erm, fewer than the terminals it's replacing.
That'll help our most important airport, massively significant to our national economy, in the competition with airports internationally, won't it..?
Only in Great Britain...
