British Airways and BAA commence operational readiness activities for London Heathrow Terminal 5

(CAPA) British Airways and airport operator, BAA, will this week begin an intensive six month period of operational readiness activities in preparation for the opening of the carrier's dedicated Terminal 5 facility on 27-Mar-08.

Operational readiness activities include induction and familiarisation programmes, staff training and over 70 separate proving trials. These activities run in parallel to the final completions work, which includes fit-out, systems integration and finishing works.

Terminal 5 will serve all of British Airways' Middle East flights, with regional passengers benefiting form the reduced connection times when transferring on to the airline's North America services.

From this week, over 30,000 staff from different organisations will be taken through comprehensive familiarisation and induction programmes at the new terminal. BAA and British Airways will jointly commence a series of basic tests involving the different individual elements of the building, including for example, signage and wayfinding, the check-in process or evacuation procedures.

The series of complex integrated trials begins in Nov-07 and will give volunteers the opportunity to test out the new terminal under realistic airport conditions. Over 16,000 people have been recruited to act as volunteer passengers and will thoroughly test every aspect of the building including car parking, check-in, baggage systems, IT systems and security.

Willie Walsh, Chief Executive of British Airways, said: "We can't wait to open the doors to our customers on March 27 next year. Terminal 5 is a fantastic opportunity for British Airways and will transform our operations with less queuing, faster baggage systems and better punctuality.

"This week marks the start of the next phase with the beginning of six months of rigorous testing and staff familiarisation sessions. These next few months will prove critical in the overall success of Terminal 5."

Mark Bullock, Managing Director Heathrow said: "Historically, airport projects have encountered problems on opening or have opened late as there has not been enough time at the tail end of construction to undertake sufficient testing. To avoid similar problems at Terminal 5, we began commissioning parts of the building up to a year ago including for example the baggage system. This is another major milestone hit on schedule, and I look forward to the opening of Terminal 5 on 27 March next year."

Features of Terminal Five include: