The key spots that call Heathrow home

Heathrow sits on over 1000 hectares of land, but where is everything located? Here is a short guide to help you find your feet at Heathrow. The Central Terminal Area (CTA) of Heathrow is the beating heart of the airport and has seen a lot of positive changes and upgrades in the past 20-odd years. There are several key spots in the Central Terminal Area that are worth taking note of as they make up the core of Heathrow and keep operations moving smoothly throughout the day. 

The Control Tower 

This is considered to be the central mind and brain of Heathrow as it directs the hundreds of flights that fly in and out of the airport every day. The NATS Air Traffic Controllers have the massive responsibility of monitoring each plane that is taking off and landing on Heathrow’s runways, ensuring the smooth and steady flow of aircrafts and reacting to any last-minute changes safely. 

Pier 20 

Opened back in 2006, the pier was developed to accommodate the Airbus A380 and the larger stands it needed to hold it fully and comfortably. Till today, the pier is a really great place to spot A380’s and get a great view of the southern runway. 

Terminals 1, 2 and 3 

Even though it closed in 2015, Terminal 1’s building and infrastructure remains in the same place and is now used to assist with the sorting and transportation of luggage for Terminal 2.

Terminal 2 was opened by Her Majesty the Queen back in 2014 and it sits on the site where the original Terminal 2 was demolished.

Operational since 1955, Terminal 3 is now the oldest Terminal in Heathrow and has been in use for almost 70 years!  

Terminals 4 and 5 

The second oldest Terminal in Heathrow is Terminal 4 which opened back in 1986.

Terminal 5 is made up of three terminal buildings – T5A, T5B, and T5C, which are all linked by a driverless track transit system for quick and easy connectivity between the three for passengers and colleagues.

For easier navigation around the airport and to save time getting around, download the Heathrow app that has easy navigation features, with routing in real-time and turn-by-turns to take you wherever you need to go smoothly and swiftly.