British Airways takes off from Terminal 5

The new Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport has officially opened for business today (March 27th).

British Airways, the sole occupant of the terminal, has completed its move to the £4.3 billion facility, with the first flight landing at 04:50 GMT from Hong Kong and the first departing service taking off for Paris at 06:20 GMT.

Passengers using Terminal 5 today will receive a free gift and special refreshments once they have boarded their flights to mark the occasion.

A number of flights have yet to make the shift to Terminal 5, with the next phase of service moves set to take place at the end of April.

"This is an historic day for British Airways and for UK aviation," commented British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh.

"I know that our customers will love the space, comfort and convenience that Terminal 5 offers and I believe that people can look forward to a much calmer and more enjoyable way of travelling in the months ahead."

The terminal was officially opened earlier this month by the Queen. It was designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners, received government approval in 2001 and took about six years to build.

• Exeter Airport toasts record-breaking month
• Air France tests mobile boarding passes
• Bmi doubles flights from London to Moscow
• British Airways business class check-in open at Terminal 5
• Gustav not as severe as first feared
• New Zealand celebrates 'top country' award
• Luton Airport invests in multilingual technology
• Airlines take action as Gustav approaches
• Terminal 5 hosts impromptu basketball match
• Airline collapse leaves 60,000 looking for transatlantic flights