T2, one of the largest construction contracts in UK history

Ferrovial Airports is especially proud of Terminal 2, also known as The Queen’s Terminal, which was opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in June 2014.

The terminal, designed by the Spanish architect Luis Vidal, was built by Ferrovial in a consortium with Laing O’Rourke. The construction involved 210,000 m² footprint between the terminal and the satellite building – equivalent to 25 football fields and a €3 billion investment, created 35,000 jobs and posed a significant challenge to the airport’s management team.

Nevertheless, we completed the job in five years and seven months, and finished it ahead of schedule without any disruption to airport operations. Before we opened Terminal 2, we tested it thoroughly. During the preceding six months we ran more than 180 million tests to be sure that check-in and countless other terminal processes worked perfectly. We also ran a series of simulations to see how the terminal worked for passengers. 14,000 people took part in these simulations, the largest of which involved more than 3,000 volunteers in a single event. Even though construction took place at the heart of Heathrow, it had no effect on passengers. Not one accident or disruptive incident was recorded during the 5-million-plus hours of construction.

The Terminal 2 project also included the construction of a satellite terminal, all the supporting access roads, larger parking to welcome new-generation aircraft and a new air-conditioned railway station. It was one of the UK’s largest-ever construction projects financed by a private company. This new-generation, green building replaced an older terminal that had been operating since 1955. With a capacity for 20 million passengers a year, the new Terminal 2 can fly two-and-a-half times as many people as its predecessor.

Apart from been a superb modern facility that simplifies the flow of passengers, luggage and aircraft, it’s also environmentally efficient, actually, it became the first facility of its kind to receive BREEAM environmental certification. In addition to recycling 100% of the waste from the demolition of the former terminal, the infrastructure has an energy-efficient centre running on renewable energy. This facility regulates air conditioning, which, together with the use of efficient construction materials and a roof that makes the most of natural light, helped to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 40.5% compared to the previous building.

As a result of exemplary project execution and excellent operational results, Heathrow has won numerous awards lately, such as the ‘World’s Best Airport Terminal’ by Skytrax World Airport Awards in several occasions.