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On the 23rd of June, Queen Elisabeth officially opened Terminal 2 of Heathrow Airport.
The Terminal will be the hub of Star Alliance, the company who joins together 26 different airlines from all over the world (some names? Aer Lingus, United Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Air New Zealand. Just to name one company per continent).
The old Terminal (which was opened by the sovereign in 1955) was demolished in 2009. The new Terminal, designed by the architect Luis Vidal, is much airier and brighter than the old one, thanks to the big windows, that also allow people to see the planes taking off and landing.
At the opening ceremony, the Queen unveiled a commemorative plaque, which revealed that the Terminal has been named after her, and will be known as the Queen’s Terminal.
Heathrow is not the only airport in London: after all, the UK capital city is the biggest urban area in Europe. Moreover is on an island. No wonder it needs 6 airports!
Heathrow, Stansted, Gatwick, City, Luton and Southend.
Heathrow Airport is the biggest airport in London and one of the busiest airports in the world. 72.367.054 people travelled though Heathrow in 2013. The airport lies in the London Borough of Hillingdon, in West London and if you want to reach the city centre there are plenty of options for you. You can take the Underground (Piccadilly line) or the bus (A1 or A2 lines) or the train; the Heathrow Express which will bring you directly toPaddington station.
Stansted Airport is the newest among the 5 airports. Every 15 minutes you can catch the Stansted Express and reach London Liverpool Street in 47 minutes. If you are not in a hurry and you don’t want to spend a lot of money, you can take a bus or a coach that will take you to the city centre. Here the list of bus and coach running to and from Stansted.
Gatwick Airport is the second busiest airport in UK (after Heathrow, of course). Among London Airports, Gatwick is the farthest from the city centre. But don’t worry: the Gatwick Express will take you from Victoria Station to Gatwick in 40 minutes.
City Airport in the only London airport that is actually located in London: “Just 22 minutes away from Bank and 17 minutes from Stratford” so the official website states. Being so close to the City, it is mostly used by business people. On the other hand, no big aircraft are permitted in City Airport.
Luton Airport is served by a lot of low cost companies. Ryanair and EasyJet have their bases here, while Monarch and Thomson Airways have their offices within the airport. It has only one runway.
It is connected to the city by rail and by bus and in under a half hour, you can find yourself in London.
Southend Airport was, in the ‘60s, the third busiest airport in Britain. Even if its glory days have long passed, Southend is still one of the main airports in England. In August 2013, was voted the best airport in UK by the consumers group Which?
