WORK has begun on a £100 million project to enable a 550-seater superjumbo plane to use Britain’s biggest airport.
The airports operator BAA has started the development of a pier at Terminal 3 at Heathrow, London. Due to be completed in December 2005, the pier will serve passengers on the first Airbus A380 to operate at Heathrow in spring 2006.
The project involves demolition of the pier 6 and its redevelopment on a new alignment to allow for the A380’s massive wingspan.
The new pier 6 will be 280 metres long, 20 metres wide, and stand three storeys high. Four aircraft stands will be created along the face of the pier – capable of serving the future generation of aircraft including the A380 and Airbus’s A340-600.
The stands will have double jetty operations – for the first time enabling passengers to disembark from both upper and main aircraft levels.
Travelators along the new pier will bring passengers to the main terminal building and an extended baggage reclaim hall. Two of the pier’s stands will provide the option of accommodating either larger aircraft such as the A380 or two medium-sized aircraft such as the Airbus A320.
Mick Temple, BAA Heathrow’s managing director, said: “Heathrow’s preparations for the A380 are going well and are right on schedule. Our taxiway widening has progressed well over the last year, and we are now able to start getting our terminals ready.
“The A380 will be an important aircraft for Heathrow – its extra capacity will make efficient use of our two busy runways – but we are also ensuring that our new facilities can accommodate all types of aircraft and meet the needs of all our airlines.”
Airlines currently planning to operate the A380 at Heathrow are: Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Qantas, Qatar Airways and Malaysia Airlines.