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There is a risk of something going wrong on the opening day of the new £2.5 billion Heathrow Terminal 2, but airport bosses insist lessons have been learned from the opening of Terminal 5.
The disastrous opening day of T5 in 2008 saw dozens of British Airways flights cancelled and a new baggage system that separated passengers from their luggage.
With less than 12 weeks until the first passengers pass through, the Terminal 2 operations team has embarked on a series of 180 trials with 14,000 volunteers testing the workings.
Only United Airlines will move in on day one and only 2,500 passengers will pass through on the first day, rising to 26,000 a day by the end of the month, and eventually 17 million a year.
Heathrow development director John Holland-Kaye told the Guardian: “You won’t need more than one hand to count openings that have happened smoothly and efficiently.
“The chances of someone turning left when they should turn right on day one is very high and it’s not something you can test fully until you open live.”
The 24,000 staff will each spend at least three days in the terminal training before transferring and the baggage system is tried and tested.
The new Terminal 2, which opens on June 4. will have common check-in desks – the first in the world for a major airport – enabling passengers to check in at any desk or machine. Each airline will also retain a special check-in for its own premium passengers.
With automatic bag tagging included at self check-in points, followed by a fast bag drop, the airport claims that the whole check-in process in the more spacious terminal should prove much quicker.
Twenty three Star Alliance carriers, Aer Lingus, Virgin Little Red and Germanwings will eventually operate from the new terminal.