Heathrow became London's principal international airport after the Second World War and developed into the UK's dominant long-haul hub.
From wartime site to civil airport
The present airport developed on land west of London that was taken over during the Second World War. Civil operations began in 1946, and Heathrow quickly replaced earlier London airports as the country's primary international gateway.
Expansion
Successive terminal and runway developments turned Heathrow into a global hub. Terminal 5 opened in 2008; Terminal 2 was rebuilt and reopened in 2014. The airport has long operated under runway-capacity pressure, which is one reason London's traffic is spread across several airports.
Why it matters
Heathrow's history explains its present role: it grew around connecting long-haul traffic and full-service network airlines rather than the low-cost point-to-point model associated with Stansted or Luton.
Fun facts
- Heathrow's first passenger facilities were not permanent terminals at all but ex-military marquees arranged as a tented village. Passengers crossed wooden duckboards over the mud to reach aircraft.
- The first aircraft to depart the new civil airport in 1946 was Starlight, a converted Lancaster bomber bound for Buenos Aires.
- Before it was called Heathrow, the airport officially opened simply as London Airport; the Heathrow name became official in 1966.
These details come from Heathrow's official history.