Millions of passengers travel in and out of London’s Heathrow airport each year, but many probably don’t think twice about the actual airport itself.
For many travellers, scooting off on a holiday or on an exciting adventure is just far too interesting to get sidetracked by airport details.
Heathrow airport is actually a pretty fascinating place, packed full of history and many interesting facts.
Here are a few things you probably didn't know about Heathrow airport that will make your journey that bit more fun, and stress-free.
1. It had very humble beginnings
It’s hard to believe, but Heathrow airport actually started out as just a tented village and in 1949 travelled to only 18 destinations. The inaugural flight from the site was on New Year’s Eve in 1949 and the flight went to Buenos Aires in Argentina via Lisbon in Portugal. Back in 1949 the airport was better known as London airport and only became known as Heathrow in 1966.
2. It's most popular destinations are...
The airport sends passengers off all over the world but the five most popular destinations are New York, Dublin, Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt, in that order. If you’re one of the many heading to New York, maybe think about a Heathrow airport hotel the night before or after your flight.
3. There are no shops near check-in desks
There are no shops on the ground floor near the check-in desks so take a bottle of water with you, or buy one from the vending machines enroute from the tube and train stations. Remember though, you will need to finish all drinks before you go through Security Control upstairs.
4. It's the fourth busiest airport in the world
Heathrow Airport is officially the world’s fourth most busy airport in the world and actually handles an amazing 66 million air passengers each year. It has been claimed that, because of internationally-bound travellers, Heathrow is the busiest airport in the world, but in relation to actual passenger volume, the wearer of this crown is the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport which is in the US.
5. There are five terminals
Back when there were only two terminals at Heathrow, they had the dramatic names ‘Europa’ and ‘Oceanic'. They were later given the more mundane title of Terminals 2 and 3. There are now five terminals, each served by its own set of Heathrow airport parking to make things easy for passengers.
Image via Pinterest.
