Heathrow was intended as a three-runway airport 72 years ago, and now those plans may finally reach fruition
Heathrow Airport had a record- breaking year in 2016 when it registered 257,922 passengers on July 31 and a total of 75.7 million airborne visitors by the end of the year.
The current site is home to two runways that handle an average 1,293 flights per day, although this will change if plans progress to build a third runway at Heathrow.
READ OUR ORIGINAL ARCHIVE COVERAGE OF HEATHROW HERE
What might come as a surprise is that 72 years ago the west London airport was originally intended as a three-runway facility and in January 1946 a correspondent from The Engineer was on hand to report on how the unfinished aerodrome was passed back into civilian hands following the end of the Second World War.
“The origin of Heathrow was the need of the Royal Air Force for an airfield near London capable of handling the heaviest types of aircraft, especially in the closing stages of the war in the Far East as it was expected to develop,” our reporter said. “In planning, it was taken into account that such an airfield could be subsequently developed for civil aviation.”
Placed 14 miles from central London, Heathrow was identified by The Engineer as being easily accessible by road and rail. “The question of a direct service of trains is being considered” the correspondent wrote, little knowing that three rail services – London Underground, Heathrow Connect and Heathrow Express – would go on to serve the airport in its current format.
Post-war Britain was, of course, still living with the economic after-effects of conflict. Air travel was the preserve of the wealthy, a situation that has gradually eroded to the point of exposing Heathrow’s ability to keep pace with capacity issues.
The Airports Commission concluded in July 2015 that an expanded Heathrow would help alleviate London’s airport capacity problem, a controversial decision that will displace a number of people living near the facility. Similar discussions were taking place in 1946, although the consequences did not seem so severe.
“The three-runway airport… will in itself give London a first-class airport, which will be capable of accommodating the largest aircraft now contemplated, but in due course it is planned to extend the area and increase the number of runways.
“A thorough study of the neighbourhood has been made in order to safeguard the land and avoid unnecessary interference with dwelling-houses and ancient buildings.
“It is not anticipated that the number of persons who will be displaced from their homes will be large, and there will be no displacement within the next five or six years, by which time it is expected that the housing position will be easier.”
Work on transforming Heathrow had begun in May 1944, with the main work focused initially on emptying ponds and disposing of a million gallons of water.
“Then followed the filling of the ponds and the making up of levels for the laying of the runway and track,” The Engineer said. ‘Concurrently, 13 miles of large concrete pipes were laid for disposing of collected rainwater. Four 54in diameter pipes run side by side to a gravel pit about a mile from the site, which serves as a balancing reservoir; two million tons of earth and gravel were excavated during the first summer and winter; some 12,000 yards of multiple ducting for electric cables were laid, and 60 miles of wire were drawn through the ducts. On the main runway the concrete is 12in thick. The laying of this mass concrete paving was started in 1945, and was completed in 3.5 months.
“Daily tests of quality and strength of the concrete showed, we are informed, an average strength of 30 per cent above the very high strength demanded by the specification.”
It is estimated that the next runway at the current Heathrow would deliver significant growth in local employment through additional direct, indirect and induced jobs totalling around 64,000-66,000 (for the Extended Northern Runway scheme) or 75,000-78,000 (North-west Runway scheme) in 2050.
By contrast, The Engineer observed there were no more than 700 “heavy labourers” employed at Heathrow in 1944, with the site averaging 400 such workers.
Explore the manifold riches of The Engineer’s voluminous archive
Let me offer a short recollection of Heathrow as well
In the summer of 1945 -I remember being taken to what appeared, to a four-year-old, to be a muddy field with a few tents pitched upon it, by an uncle. Actually he wasn’t really an uncle then. He had just returned after 5+ years as a guest of the Third Reich: He celebrated his 21st , 22nd 23rd, 24th and 25th birthday in Germany: and was about to marry my mother’s sister!
On May 10th 1940 he had been shot down, literally into the path of the invading German Army as it attacked Holland: his aircraft (a Beaufighter?) was part of the flight tasked with collecting the Dutch Royal family. He was fortunate in that on landing (his chute opened, that of his observer did not) his leg was severely injured/ damaged: and in normal ‘battle-field casualty’ situation would have been amputated. The German surgeons had so little to do (there was only little Dutch resistance) that they spent time resetting and operating on his injuries and his leg was saved. He walked with a limp for the rest of his life. He was of course in RAF uniform, still serving and was enjoying life, with no less that 5+ years of pilot’s back-pay. He had an MG car and a great life. I recall him taking me inside a Lancaster bomber – one of several parked-up there. It must have been some sort of ‘open-day’ as there were other planes and many (to a four-year-old) people there as well. He showed the visitors, including MJB how the controls worked, how the main-spar connected the wings together (we had to clamber over it to get in to the cockpit) and what a pitot tube was. (yes, at four!-though not sure that I understood until about 15 years later) Perhaps that was what started my interest in fluid dynamics!? As we left, he gave me -the proudest four-year-old in London that day- two .5 amp fuses that were in a rack fixed to the inside of the cupboard-door under the radio-operator/navigator’s plotting table. I am looking at these as I write as they have been on or in my desk ever since. We must have been there at the time of ‘Last Post’ because I recall a bugle and lowering of the flag. What a day!
Heathrow Airport was designed and built (in the early 1950s) with SIX runways in a star layout, however only two of them (much extended) exist today. So if runway 3 is built it will has have half the number of runways it had 65+ years ago!
Extremely dubious figues for the number of jobs to be ‘created’ by the new runway – I suspect a few creative minds have been at work here. Do the figures for example include the removal companies who move local residents displaced by the runway and the estate agents who sell them their new properties? I wonder if anyone audits such claims?
George, Robert, do you remember last year the article about the “third runway” in the Engineer and many of the responses?
Well I feel it is a huge waste to try and expand the existing LHR by building towards the Great West Rd -way to much upheaval and disruption over the estimated five years build out.
A number of folks recommended going southwards and building out the Old Lasham airport used during WWII for landing crippled bombers on its nearly 2.5 mile main runway. The M3 and A31 are good access roads via the A339 and A3349 via Odiham airport as a small feeder to Lasham.
Plenty of space and no real flying over a congested area for approach as now exists coming into LHR [have experienced 3 emergencies when approaching LHR in the past 25 years on a L-1011, Boeing 747 and an A-340 – electrics/hydraulics and fuel leaks – got down OK and the 747 flight we had to brake very hard as the brakes/under carriage had problems – 287 people on board over Windsor/Staines/Feltham] Remember the engine that dropped off over Woking and land in an industrial estate during take-off years ago?
Just look at the Lasham facility before it is too late – has good road, train, bus service and the Underground can be continued onto the main rail lines traveling south to Basingstoke, Alton, Farnham/Aldershot and all hook into the A339 and A3349. Leave a good clear approach in case of a take-off or landing incident.
Much better use of Airport Funds than disturbing all those residents and businesses around the planned land to be use plus 5+ years of disruption; shown last year in the Engineer Expansion Article.
Lasham is a bit too far for transfers, however, there is ALREADY a third runway within easy transfer distance of Heathrow called RAF Northolt. With the constant shrinking of the RAF I am sure they could move the operation at Northolt quite easily and provide a pragmatic ready to go solution at a fraction of the cost and disruption of others.
Main runway on Lasham airfield is shown as 1.8km on the OS map
Mike’s tale is a fascinating one as my father was with British South American Airlines that operated from Heathrow at that time
They flew Lancastrian planes which were converted from the famous bomber
He was Superintendent of Aircraft Development an interesting title which sounds a bit strange today
The beam Mike mentions was the reason the Star Girls’ stewardesses had to have a split in their skirts to enable them to step over the beam it looked rather saucy at he time but was a practical necessity
Richard Branson’s mother was a Star Girl
I must sadly comment that it is typical of the political elite that the UK has time and time again invented and developed what the politicians then give away or prevaricate for years usually listening much harder to a minority and acting on their particular whim
3 runways planned 72 years ago; says it all.
Having just read the additional history and noting the first flight by Don Bennett I would add my Father was on the second flight
I fly quite regular from Heathrow and following Mike’s piece I am conscious of also being very proud of the personal history
So pleased Mike has his fuses as I have a navigator’s clock
For anyone interested there are a number of interesting books on BSSA
Many thanks to Mel for his comments. In the 70s I did work for a firm, Scragg which made the machines that put the crimp into Crimplene, the terrible yarn/fabric worn by your grandmother!
The Chief designer was called Roy Fielding: but his real claim to fame was that as an apprentice draughtsman/stress-man at Avro, he helped (under supervision I am sure) with some of the earliest detailed drawings for the Lancaster. Later he was part of the group – along and well junior to/with Barnes W- from Avro who had to try to persuade the Air Ministry first that the beast would fly with a vast bomb under it: and second that the bomb had to rotate. Roy described sitting in rooms full of very senior officers with scrambled-egg all over their hats and uniforms (who had learned their flying when planes were made out of wood, fabric and wire!) trying to get them to understand that it was mathematics and equations which were now the way to design modern aircraft. My wife’s maiden name was Orrell: a distant relative of the original Test Pilot for the Lancaster. Her uncle (one of only a few from the 48 in his 1942 ‘intake’ who survived) flew over Berlin on raids several times. Such was of particular interest as by the 70s he had risen up the RAF to be base commander at Gatow, the RAF station in Berlin. He described crews dropping empty beer-bottles as well as bombs: these make a wonderful whistling noise on the way down, and of course disintegrate completely on landing: but cause the ‘opposition’ to spend hours looking for an UnexB that was never there in the first place!
More in the book I have written: available to fellow bloggers if they contact me directly [mikeblamey@yahoo.co.uk]
Until fairly recently, there were still 3 runways at Heath Row. You could see them on the local map. The two parallel East-West runways, which still exist, had a third diagonal runway across them. But it disappeared during runway extensions for Jumbo Jets and the like, together with the building of additional terminals. It was actually used at times, when the wind swung too far to the South, but not too often, as I recall. However, I guess that the need to keep landing/takeoff running more or less continuously at times, (which the parallel runways offered), led to its redundancy. Perhaps some better forward-thinking at the time might have prevented the present stand-off and deadlock of vested interests.
Basic problem, is that it was and is an airfield in the wrong place, for long-term operation. Upwind of a huge city, with flight paths dangerously over the heads of millions of citizens, it should never have been developed there in the first place. One of the many cheapest-cost, short-tem decision beloved by typical British Governments. No vision; no money; bad decision.
Perhaps the original planners were thinking about tourism! I accept everything said by those well versed in aircraft operations but must say that one of the most spectacular sights in the world I have always enjoyed is that final few miles of approach to Heathrow, inevitably over the City and environs of London. Day and night, its spectacular. Do I not believe that RAF Northolt is still the preferred landing and take-off for executive aircraft and the equivalents of Blair-Force One? [Did we ever get that?]
I had a relative who lived in Northolt Village and recall several planes landed at that runway by mistake, believing they were being ‘directed/talked down’ to Heathrow. I do not wish to appear frivolous, but surely the carnage upon the roads in and around London Airport is many times the potential for disaster and loss of life than a one-off crash from the air.
Enjoying all the things you remember from the early years at Heathrow – I am researching family history and I’m looking for any records of workers in the late 1940s – 1950s. If anyone knows of any archive I’d love to know about it. Of particular interest Wilfred Page and Cicely Hampson.
Reading a post above suggesting use of Lasham airfield instead of building a new runway at Heathrow, I see that it is stated that the main Lasham runway is 2.5 miles long. In fact it is only 1.04 miles long and would not be suitable without extension. Seeing the lay of the land it would not seem to be suitable without disruption to surrounding countryside.
Does anybody know if there are any records of the properties which were destroyed to enable Heathrow to be built?
This issue of the third runway at LHR has been badly handled. It is not about capacity or noise. It should always have been about safety.
LHR needs the third runway so that, should an accident occur such as the BA flight from Beijing a few years ago when both engines failed because of ice, the airport can still handle scheduled landings and takeoffs without causing major disruption.
Most large airports handling the sort of traffic LHR gets have 4 if not more runways yet only two runways have been built in the whole UK since the war! The second runway at Manchester and London City.
Following a large amount of Research (and cost) into the Planning of increased uk Air transport Passenger capacity our experts decided that Heathrow was/is the favourite site.
3 Runways at Heathrow offered the best solution .
All other sites including Gatwick, Lasham, Luton were not suitable.
Apart from the short term effects of Covid, what’s changed?
Our Government, Labour or Conservative just keeps supporting an increased uk population, now 68 million.
Why don’t we just get on and build the 3rd runway at Heathrow. Mr Sunak seems to have the funds!
RAF Northolt seems like the ideal pragmatic solution for Runway 3 that nobody has ever mentioned – it is only 5 miles north of Heathrow and already served by mass transit rail links that could be extended to Heathrow.