End of the line for Heathrow's Terminal 2

Terminal 2 at London's Heathrow Airport has closed to passengers prior to its demolition as part of a £1 billion (US$1.7 billion) replacement programme, which also calls for the demolition of the Queen's Building, work on which has already started.

The old Terminal 2 building will disappear during 2010, after which construction of a new Terminal 2 will commence, with the latter opening to passengers some time in 2014. The new terminal will rival Heathrow's Terminal 5, which was opened officially to passengers in March 2008, and will be able to handle 30 million passengers a year.

According to Colin Matthews, British Airports Authority (BAA) chief executive: "The closure of Terminal 2 marks an important moment in the modernisation of Heathrow. We look forward to the new Terminal 2 providing a new home for Star Alliance carriers and a better experience for our passengers, with less impact on the environment."