New images of Heathrow with a third runway, including pictures of a new central terminal area and business park, have been released today.
A three-runway Heathrow will provide up to 740,000 flights a year, enough for Heathrow to compete on an equal footing with Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam.
It also provides sufficient hub-airport capacity until at least 2040, the west London airport claims.
If given final government approval, two main passenger terminals and transport hubs – Heathrow West (Terminals 5 and 6) and Heathrow East (an extended Terminal 2) – would be created, connected by an underground passenger transit and baggage system.
Minimum connection times between terminals would fall from 75 to 60 minutes.
Land would be set aside for commercial developments such as offices and hotels.
The plans would provide “more than enough space” to replace commercial premises lost to the third runway, Heathrow claims.
“Our proposal compliments existing plans already in place to better connect Heathrow and the UK. This means that by the time a third runway is operational, new rail services to the north, east, south and west are due to be delivered,” the airport said.
The government has pledged to make a decision on a new runway for the south-east of England by the end of the year after Heathrow expansion was backed by the Airports Commission in the summer.
