Heathrow is celebrating its 70th anniversary by unveiling a series of plaques to mark the iconic moments to have happened at the UK's busiest airport.
Since the UK’s busiest airport opened its doors in 1946, over 20 million flights have taken off from Heathrow flying over 2 billion passengers across the globe. New York, Dublin and Dubai have been the most commonly visited cities from Heathrow over the past 70 years, with airlines now flying to over 80 destinations across the globe from the airport.
Heathrow has played host to some of Britain’s most memorable moments, from the Beatles return to the UK as global superstars in 1964 to thousands of screaming fans, to the England rugby team’s arrival back onto their home turf as World Champions in 2003. Heathrow also welcomed the world’s largest passenger plane in 2008 with the arrival of the Airbus A380, while in 1952, Her Majesty the Queen stepped onto sovereign soil at Heathrow for the very first time as the reigning monarch.
Yesterday (31st May), Joanna Lumley revealed the final of 70 unique platinum plaques, that will be on show around the airport, each representing an iconic moment of British culture from the past 70 years. The full list of plaques can be viewed at www.heathrow.com/plaques.
John Holland-Kaye, Heathrow CEO, said; “We’re very proud of the role the airport has played in millions of people's lives as well as the economic success of the UK. This is an occasion for everyone to celebrate how Heathrow’s global connections have influenced our nation and to recognise the possibilities of those journeys yet to come.”
He continued: “Over the last 70 years Heathrow has also seen over 2 billion passengers pass through the airport and today over 75,000 dedicated people come to work to ensure the best possible experience for travellers. We’re all very excited about what the future of Heathrow will bring."