FINEST IN EUROPE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21979, 25 March 1946, Page 4

FINEST IN EUROPE

LONDON’S NEW AIRPORT

HEATHROW ENLARGED

London’s new airport, Heathrow, now under construction between the Bath and Staines main roads, near Hounslow. is to be almost trebled in size, states the Times. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has decided to enlarge it from its present area of 1500 acres to more than 4000 acres. This will make Heathrow almost us big as the final size planned for Idlewiid, the airport being built for New York, which is to cover 4600 acres.

The enlarged, Heathrow airfield will be not only wider but longer, permitting ot an extension of the existing main runway from its present length ol UOOOtt. to lfj.OOOit. and the two subsidiary runways front (iOOOft. to 90U01t. ii necessary there will also be room lor further runways. When completed, Heathrow will be the finest airport m Europe. Idlewild, its only serious rival in the world, is being built in three stages. It is now being provided with three runways, temporary administrative buildings, and two hangars. The second stage, which is scheduled for completion by 1949, provides for six runways, a vast oval terminal building and further hangars.

The final stage, which is expected to be completed by 1954, will bring the total of runways to 12. and will see the completion of the ambitious terminal building big enough to house the offices of all the United States external and domestic air-lines and a number of foreign air-lines, including British Overseas Airways