History of Heathrow Airport facts for kids

Heathrow Airport started out as a smaller airfield called the Great West Aerodrome. Sometimes, people also called it Heathrow Aerodrome. It grew from a quiet area of farms and small villages into one of the world's busiest airports.

Early Days: Before 1920

• Around 1410: The first time anyone wrote about a small country lane called Heathrow was around this year. It was spelled La Hetherewe. This lane separated farms from a wilder area called Hounslow Heath. This heath was known as a hiding spot for highwaymen, who were like old-time robbers.
• 1915: A company called Fairey Aviation started building and testing planes. They used an airfield called Northolt Aerodrome, which was about six miles away from where Heathrow is now.
• 1917-1919: Another airfield, Hounslow Heath Aerodrome, was the only one in London that could handle international flights with customs checks. But it closed in 1919, and Croydon Airport became London's main airport.

The 1920s: A New Airfield Idea

• 1925: An RAF pilot named Norman Macmillan had to land his plane unexpectedly in a flat, open area. He noticed how perfect the land was for an airfield. At the time, it was mostly used for growing vegetables and wheat.
• 1928: Fairey Aviation needed a new place to test their planes. Macmillan remembered the flat land he had seen in 1925. He suggested it as a great spot for an airfield.
• 1929: Fairey Aviation began buying land near a small village called Heathrow. They bought about 148 acres of farmland from local owners. This land was perfect for their new airfield.

The 1930s: Growing the Great West Aerodrome

• June 1930: The new airfield was ready to be used.
• 1930 to 1939: The airfield was known by a few names, like Harmondsworth Aerodrome, The Great West Aerodrome, and sometimes Heathrow Aerodrome. It was used for building and testing planes. London's main airport for passengers was still Croydon Airport.
• 1935 to 1939: The Royal Aeronautical Society held special flying events at Heathrow. These events showed off new aircraft and helped promote plane manufacturers. The airfield was also used by model aircraft clubs on weekends.
• 5 May 1935: Fairey Aviation held its first airshow here.
• 14 May 1939: The last airshow by Fairey Aviation took place. The airfield was called "Great West Aerodrome" in the event's brochure.

The 1940s: Wartime Changes and a Secret Plan

• During World War II, the airfield was sometimes used by the RAF for planes that needed to land somewhere else.
• 1940: Hurricanes from RAF Northolt were sent to the Great West Aerodrome when Northolt was threatened by enemy attacks.
• 1943: The government's Air Ministry secretly planned to take over the airfield. They said it was for long-range bombers, but the real plan was to build a new international airport for London. This secret was kept from Parliament.
• January 1944: The secret plans were finally revealed. The government took over the airfield using wartime laws. Fairey Aviation was offered very little money for their land, which they refused.
• The Air Ministry took over the aerodrome. Fairey Aviation had to move its testing flights to another airfield, which was very inconvenient for them.
• 12 February 1944: Winston Churchill worried about using so many workers and so much effort on the Heathrow project during the war.
• April 1944: The Air Ministry officially took over the airfield and surrounding farms, roads, and homes. They said it was for military bombers. However, Harold Balfour, a government official, later admitted he had hidden the true reason. He wanted to build a civil airport and used wartime powers to avoid a long public discussion. Construction of the new airport began.
• May 1944: People living in the area were told to leave their homes. Work started to knock down buildings and clear the land.

After World War II: Heathrow Becomes an International Airport

• May 1945: When World War II ended, the new airfield was still being built. The plans changed from military use to becoming a major international airport.
• 1 January 1946: The airport's ownership moved from the military Air Ministry to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The first runway was finished, and the first flight took off. The airport buildings were temporary tents and huts.
• 25 March 1946: The airport was officially opened. The first plane to use the new airport was an Avro Lancastrian called Star Light.
  • The first passenger area was made of Army tents and wooden walkways. Later, these were replaced by simple buildings. The first control tower was a basic brick building.
• 16 April 1946: The first plane from a foreign airline, a Lockheed Constellation from Panair do Brasil, landed after flying from Rio de Janeiro.
• 31 May 1946: The airport was fully open for civilian flights.
• 1947: Heathrow had three main runways shaped like a triangle. Temporary passenger and cargo buildings were located at the northeast edge of the airport.
• 1948: Perry Oaks farm, a local landmark, was knocked down.
• 1949: A short film called London Airport showed the official opening and the busy construction work.

The 1950s: New Terminals and a Queen's Return

• Early 1950s: Three more runways were added, making a star-like shape. This design meant that at least two runways would always be suitable for landings, no matter the wind direction.
• 7 February 1952: Queen Elizabeth II returned to the United Kingdom as Queen after her father's death. She arrived at Heathrow on a BOAC plane.
• 1953: Queen Elizabeth II officially placed the first stone for a new runway.
• December 1953: The airport reached 1 million passengers in one year.
• 1955: Queen Elizabeth II opened the first permanent passenger terminal, called the Europa Building (later Terminal 2). She also opened the Queens Building. These buildings were in the middle of the runways and could be reached by tunnels.
• 1 April 1955: A new, taller control tower opened.
• Late 1950s: The roof gardens on the Queen's Building and Europa Terminal were popular places for the public to watch planes.
• 1957: The West London Air Terminal opened in London, allowing passengers to check in for their flights before arriving at the airport.

The 1960s: Expansion and a New Name

• 13 November 1961: Building 3, called the Oceanic building, opened for long-haul flights. It was later renamed Terminal 3 in 1968.
• 1964: A documentary film called City of the Air was made at Heathrow.
• 1965: The airport's ownership and control moved from the government's Ministry of Aviation to a new group called the British Airports Authority (BAA).
• September 1966: BAA officially renamed the airport Heathrow. This helped avoid confusion with other airports serving London, like Gatwick and Stansted.
• 8 June 1968: A criminal named James Earl Ray was caught at Heathrow trying to leave the UK with a fake passport. He was quickly sent back to the United States.
• 6 November 1968: Terminal 1 opened. This completed the group of buildings in the center of the airport. By this time, Heathrow was handling 14 million passengers each year.
• 17 April 1969: Queen Elizabeth II officially opened Terminal 1.
• Late 1960s: A large cargo terminal was built south of the runways. It was connected to Terminals 1, 2, and 3 by an underground tunnel.

The 1970s: Modernization and Underground Links

• 1970: Terminal 3 was made bigger with a new arrivals building. Heathrow's two main east-west runways were also made longer to handle new, very large planes like the Boeing 747.
• 1973: The truth about the secret wartime plan to build Heathrow was finally revealed in a book by Harold Balfour.
• 1977: London's Piccadilly line underground train service reached Heathrow Central. This made it possible to travel from the airport to Central London in less than an hour.

The 1980s: More Passengers, More Terminals

• Early 1980s: The number of passengers grew to 30 million each year. This meant more terminal space was needed. Terminal 4 was built south of the main runways, next to the cargo terminal.
• 1984: An underground railway loop was added to the Piccadilly line to serve Terminal 4. The main Heathrow station was renamed Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3.
• 1986: The M25 motorway opened, giving Heathrow a direct road link to many parts of the country.
• 1 April 1986: Terminal 4 was opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales. It became the new home for British Airways.
• 1987: The UK government sold the British Airports Authority (BAA), which owned Heathrow and six other UK airports, to private companies.
• After this, BAA made the airport terminals bigger to include more shops and restaurants. They designed the terminals so passengers would walk through shopping areas.

The 1990s: New Records and Long Planning

• 7 February 1996: A Concorde plane set a new record, flying from New York to Heathrow in just 2 hours, 52 minutes, and 59 seconds.
• May 1997: The planning stage for a new Terminal 5 finally ended. It was a very long process, taking eight years and costing a lot of money.
• 23 June 1998: The Heathrow Express train service started. It provided a fast link between Heathrow and Paddington station in London.

The 2000s: Terminal 5 and the A380

• September 2002: Construction of Terminal 5 began. The first step was to move two rivers around the airport's edge.
• 2003: The army was briefly sent to Heathrow again, this time because of warnings about a possible terrorist attack.
• 2005: Runway 23, a shorter runway used in strong winds, was closed and became part of a taxiway (a path for planes on the ground).
• 2006: A new section called Pier 6 was finished at Terminal 3. It was built to handle the giant Airbus A380 superjumbo jet. Other changes were also made to get ready for the A380.
• 18 May 2006: The first A380 test flight arrived at Heathrow.
• 21 April 2007: A new, very tall air traffic control tower started operating. It was officially opened in June 2007 and is the tallest control tower in the UK.
• November 2007: Discussions began about building a new third runway and a sixth terminal.
• 14 March 2008: Queen Elizabeth II opened Terminal 5.
• 27 March 2008: Terminal 5 opened to passengers. The Heathrow Terminal 5 station also opened.
• 2009: The old Queen's Building was taken down.
• 15 January 2009: The plan for a new third runway and sixth terminal was approved by the UK government.
• 29 October 2009: British Airways moved all its flights from Terminal 4 to the new Terminal 5.
• 23 November 2009: The old Terminal 2 closed.

The 2010s: Olympic Rush and Future Debates

• 12 May 2010: The new government cancelled the plans for a third runway and sixth terminal.
• Summer 2010: The old Terminal 2 building was demolished.
• 20 May 2011: Terminal 5C, another part of Terminal 5, opened.
• February 2012: A temporary new terminal was built quickly to help handle the large number of athletes leaving after the 2012 Summer Olympics.
• September 2012: The Airports Commission was created to decide how to solve the problem of not having enough airport space in Southeast England. The main ideas were to build a third runway at Heathrow, expand Gatwick Airport, or build a new airport in the Thames Estuary.
• 2013: The original red-brick control tower from the 1950s was taken down to make way for roads for the new Terminal 2.
• 4 June 2014: The new Terminal 2 opened to passengers.
• June 2015: Terminal 1 closed and was demolished to allow for more expansion of Terminal 2.
• July 2015: The Airports Commission suggested expanding Heathrow. This caused some debate because of concerns about air pollution and noise for homes nearby.
• 26 October 2016: Heathrow was chosen over Gatwick as the preferred location for a new runway.
• 2019: The second phase of the new Terminal 2 was completed.

The 2020s: A Challenging Time

• 2020: The COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected air travel. Heathrow switched to using only one runway.

Plans for the Future

There are plans for a new terminal building to the west of Terminal 5. Terminal 3 might eventually be taken down to make space for new satellite terminals and better public transport links.

Historic Images of Heathrow

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  Map of Heathrow and the surrounding area from the late 1930s.

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  Map from 1948, showing the passenger aircraft area near Harlington Corner.

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  A TWA Lockheed Constellation arriving at Heathrow North in 1954.

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  A Pan Am Boeing Stratocruiser arriving at Heathrow North in 1954.

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  The prototype Fairey Hendon night bomber, K1695.