Heathrow Terminal 1 Closes Its Doors Tonight

Heathrow Airport will close the doors on 47 years of aviation history tonight when Terminal 1 handles its final flight.

The building, which was opened by the Queen in April 1969, is being shut as airlines complete their move to the modern Terminal 2.

Heathrow said the final departure would be a British Airways flight to Hanover on Monday night following a migration of services to the recently completed Terminal 2, which is to be extended to boost its capacity.

The extension will be built on top of the existing Terminal 1, which is to be demolished.

The news came to light just 48 hours before the Airports Commission was due to announce its recommendation on whether a new runway should be built at Heathrow or Gatwick .

The Commission's work, which has covered issues including economic need, cost and the environment, followed years of arguments on which option would best deliver capacity for 21st century air travel.

In its heyday, Terminal 1 handled approximately nine million passengers annually but the migration has meant that it has been home to just 17 flights and around 1,700 passengers a day over the past few weeks.

British Airways, then known as BEA, was the first airline to operate from the terminal.

At that time, it was the largest of its kind in Europe.

It was built primarily as a short-haul terminal but its use has declined since Terminal 5 was completed in 2008.

Heathrow chief executive John Holland Kaye said: "The closure of Terminal 1 marks another important milestone in the transformation of Heathrow.

"Terminal 1 has served Britain well for nearly 50 years, but will soon make way for the expansion of Terminal 2, giving Britain a world class airport that we can all be proud of."