Demolished and reborn. Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport stands as a testament to London’s ever-evolving aviation landscape. Originally known as the Europa Building, the first Terminal 2 opened in 1955. Frederick Gibberd designed it including the adjacent Queens Building.
Can you imagine 316 million passengers passing through its doors? That’s how many people used the old Terminal 2 during its lifetime. It was designed for 1.2 million passengers annually. But in its final years, it often accommodated around 8 million.
Not all the memories are pleasant. On 20 April 1984, a bomb exploded in the baggage area of T2. Twenty-two people were injured.
Despite renovations, the original Terminal 2 became decrepit. Air France flight AF1881 to Paris was the last flight to depart from the terminal on 23 November 2009. It was demolished in 2010. The space was combined with the area where the Queen’s Building stood.
The new Terminal 2, initially named Heathrow East, gained approval in May 2007. The design continued the “toast rack” principle maximizing land use. The terminal building and satellites were placed perpendicular to the runways. Much of the building was constructed off-site. This helped overcome logistical constraints.
Terminal 2 is split into two connected buildings. These are Terminal 2A and Terminal 2B. Luis Vidal + Architects designed 2A. All European carriers except Icelandair use it. Air Canada and Turkish Airlines also use this building for short haul flights. Grimshaw Architects designed 2B. All international carriers use terminal 2B. Icelandair is the only European carrier to use Terminal 2B.
Gates are numbered in concourse A 1–26 and concourse B 28–49. The new Terminal 2 is designed to produce 40% fewer carbon dioxide emissions. High levels of insulation contribute to this. North-facing windows flood the building with natural light reducing the need for artificial lighting. Photovoltaic solar panels on the roof further reduce dependency on energy supplies.
Construction occurred in two phases. Phase one completed in June 2014. It involved demolishing the old terminal and constructing half of the main terminal building. The 522-metre satellite building Terminal 2B was also completed.
In June 2013, it was announced that the terminal would be known as “Terminal 2 The Queen’s Terminal”. The first flight to arrive was United Airlines flight UA958 from Chicago O’Hare on 4 June 2014. Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the terminal on 23 June 2014.
After phased moves, Terminal 2 became home to Star Alliance. Heathrow aimed to maximize efficiency by reducing transfer times. The new terminal has a capacity for 30 million passengers each year.
Terminal 2 is also set up to handle UK domestic and Irish flights like Terminal 5. Aer Lingus and Loganair serve these flights from this terminal.
Singapore Airlines operated the Airbus A380 from Terminal 2 in the summer of 2015. This was for two of Singapore Airlines’ four daily flights.
Terminal 2 is connected by an underground walkway to Terminal 3. Terminals 4 and 5 can be reached by the free Elizabeth line or Heathrow Express rail service.