Artist’s impression of the new terminal

Plans to demolish or redevelop Heathrow’s ageing terminal 2 and to build a band new facility to the east of the airport have been outlined by the airport operator BAA.

Under the plans, Queens Building, one of the oldest parts of the airport, will be demolished and a new state-of-the-art facility capable of handling up to 30 million passengers built to replace it.

The idea, called Heathrow East, would create a new terminal to match the main Terminal 5 building in terms of scale and ambience and equal or surpass it in terms of form and function. Passengers would benefit from contemporary design and planning, including an enhanced retail experience, while the new building would help Heathrow meet its targets for lower energy use

The size and location of the site would allow BAA to build without unduly disrupting day to day operations, and allow easy connection to existing road and rail infrastructure.

Following today’s announcement, BAA intends to discuss the idea formally with airlines to assess the viability of the project. The project would also be dependent on regulatory support from the Civil Aviation Authority. Very early indications are that an incremental net cost of £1.0 - £1.5 billion would be required to deliver this proposal, but the figures depend on timing and the airlines’ requirements.

The combination of Terminal 5, Heathrow East and planned modifications and renovations to Terminals 3 and 4 would result in a transformed Heathrow, with unrivalled global connections, quicker and simpler transit, and convenient public transport links, BAA said.