Yesterday, 4th June, the countdown to the opening of the new Terminal 2 at London Heathrow Airport began. In 365 days the home of Star Alliance at Britain’s premier aviation hub will welcome the flying public.
Mark Schwab, Chief Executive of Star Alliance, said: “In a year’s time we will ring in a new era for our customers, member carriers and employees at London Heathrow. The purpose-built Terminal 2 will be our home and will offer a superior travel experience to our customers, create new business opportunities for our member carriers, and provide an improved working environment for employees.”
With the move to Terminal 2, all 23 Star Alliance member airlines serving Heathrow and representing over 20% of the airport’s traffic, will for the first time ever operate from a single terminal. This will give Star Alliance the opportunity to enhance its ‘seamless hub’ experience, increase the number of passengers transferring through Heathrow , and provide shorter connecting times between member airlines.
Moreover, the state-of-the art terminal will allow Star Alliance to provide a new and improved level of service for passengers, offering air travellers the right balance and choice between technology and the personal touch. Terminal 2 will have more automated processes and common facilities than currently exists in any one terminal at Heathrow, giving passengers more control over their journey.
Operating ‘under one roof’ enables the Star Alliance member carriers to share operational facilities more efficiently and make the best use of space and services. Together, this will make Terminal 2 a commercially attractive European hub option for the airlines. As of June next year, the Star Alliance carriers will begin their move into Terminal 2.
Tim Atkinson, South African Airways’ Head of Airport Operations, International, said: “We are very excited about today’s announcement and the countdown to the opening of the new Terminal 2 at London Heathrow. Our move into Heathrow’s newest terminal will offer South African Airways’ customers an unrivalled passenger experience in the air and on the ground, harnessing new technologies and seamless connections with our extensive network to Southern Africa.
“Our move from our current home in Terminal One is set to take place from the autumn of 2014 and will give us a unique opportunity to build on our reputation as Africa’s most awarded airline.”
From Terminal 2, 23 Star Alliance airlines – Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, Croatia Airlines, Egyptair, Ethiopian Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Swiss, TAM Airlines, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, Thai Airways International, United and US Airways – will provide 136 flights a day to over 51 worldwide destinations. Future member carrier Eva Air will also join the member carriers in T2 during the course of 2014.
Further information on Heathrow Terminal 2 can be found at: www.heathrow.com/t2
