Heathrow airport began its life as a small military airfield during the First World War, after this original period it never saw active service as an RAF airport and can trace its heritage almost solely as a commercial airport.
Strangely the layout has found itself limited by the centrally located terminals, due to the fact that airport planners originally thought passengers would be arriving in chauffeur driven cars. The subsequent large public car parks have placed a strain upon use of space making car hire a brilliant way to get to and from the airport.
Having such brilliant transport links car hire from Heathrow airport is the ideal way to enter the country. Being one of the busiest airports in the world, and the busiest airport in terms of international travellers, the airport is in a perpetual state of bustle with all manner of peoples passing through the terminals daily. With flights to almost anywhere in the world it is the major hub airport of Britain with many UK airports offering link flights for destinations further a field.
Heathrow Airport like many airports today is a commercial centre that is filled with shops and restaurants as well as travel related industries such as car hire companies. Heathrow can be seen as a major employer in the area providing jobs for not only those in the local area but many commuters from London. Its proximity to London makes life easy for commuters with a direct rail link into the city.
Heathrow Airport actually lies inside the M25 and has brilliant links onto the London ring road. From Heathrow the use of a hire car can take you to anywhere in the country. The M25 acting as a gateway to the West Country, East Anglia the Southern coast and the North. With so many trunk roads branching out from the M25 it is truly the hub of the British road network and makes use of a hire car simple and efficient.
Heathrow is currently building a large new terminal christened somewhat boringly as Terminal 5. It is set to open in March 2008 and will have the usual accompanying travel links as car hire desks, bus stops and its own train station. Predominantly, the eventual aim is for the terminal to house the majority of British Airways flights, ultimately making the terminal solely BA focussed.
The terminal is expected to cost the princely sum of 4.2 billion pounds but airport bosses will be clinging to the hope that it comes in under budget and on schedule. The new terminal will also have to cater for the gargantuan Airbus A380 with special concourses and docking facilities.
One thing is certain; with a host of businesses in fields such as retail, hospitality and car hire the chances for profit will be immense. Even the world renowned shops Cartier and Harrods are looking into creating outlets in the terminal to provide premier shopping for more privileged passengers.
The future of Heathrow Airport is not completely sparkling though; it is believed that the two operating runways are currently running at ninety eight percent capacity meaning even with the new Terminal, flight slots will still be in high demand.
Its mantle as the airport with the most international passengers is believed to be surpassed by France's Charles De Gaulle Airport by the year 2010, as it is only currently operating at seventy four percent capacity. Of course the new generation of larger airplanes will ease the strain but Heathrow must still consider another runway if they hope to remain as profitable.
