London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5

London Heathrow is the UK's main airport and a major intercontinental hub. The new Terminal 5 will serve around 35 million passengers a year and comprises a Core Terminal Building connected to two satellites by high-speed links. Terminal 5 is designed to handle the most advanced passenger aircraft including the Airbus A380.

The baggage handling system has a total of twelve transfer break lines and 132 check-in desks according to the ‘walk through’ concept for the easy flow of large numbers of passengers. Bags are automatically read, screened and sorted to their final flight build location via two HELIXORTER tilt-tray sorters. Early bags are stored in a BAGSTORE warehouse with 4,000 positions, allowing individual access to each bag any time via cranes. Late bags can be transported at high speed via BAGTRAX directly to the head of stands where the awaiting aircraft are parked.

During the realisation of this project Vanderlande Industries formed part of the Terminal 5 Strategic Team and was supported by BAA's Baggage Delivery Team. Vanderlande Industries was fully responsible for design, software development, manufacturing, installation, commissioning and integration of this baggage handling system.

In February 2005 the site works commenced and the new Terminal 5 became operational in March 2008.

Read more about the Vanderlande Services team at London Heathrow Airport.