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Heathrow airport has confirmed that Terminals 3 and 4 will close temporarily in “the coming weeks”.
Airlines operating from these terminals will transfer their flights to Terminals 2 and 5.
This follows a fall in passenger flights of 75%. No date has been given for the change. Nor has it been confirmed which airlines which move into which terminals.
The logical move is for Oneworld alliance member airlines such as American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Japan Airlines and Qantas to move to Terminal 5.
SkyTeam member airlines such as Air France, Delta and KLM and non-aligned airlines such as Virgin Atlantic could move to Terminal 2.
There is a lot of complexity behind the scenes before these moves can be agreed.
For example, Terminal 5 was originally designed around BA’s own systems and processes. When Iberia moved into the terminal many years ago, it took a long time for Iberia flights could operate from the terminal under their own flight numbers.
There are also industrial relations issues with airlines having their own employees and handling agents at Heathrow.
Given the upheaval required behind the scenes to facilitate these moves, this does suggest that flights at Heathrow will be reduced substantially for some time.
The latest guidance on Coronavirus from Heathrow can be viewed here.
Heathrow will also move to a single runway operation from Monday 6 April 2020. Flights will alternative between the Northern and Southern runway each week as per this schedule.
Update Saturday 2 May 2020
The transfer of airline operations is taking place in phases. Here are confirmed transfers to date:
Cathay Pacific, Emirates and Pakistan International Airlines has transferred flights to Terminal 2 from Thursday 16 April 2020.
Japan Airlines has transferred flights to Terminal 2 from Saturday 18 April 2020.
Iran Air has transferred flights to Terminal 2 from Sunday 19 April 2020.
Beijing Capital Airlines, Finnair, Qantas and Qatar Airways have transferred flights to Terminal 2 from Monday 20 April.
American Airlines and Virgin Atlantic have transferred flights to Terminal 2 from Tuesday 21 April.
Philippine Airlines has transferred flights to Terminal 2 from Friday 24 April.
Gulf Air has transferred flights to Terminal 2 from Saturday 25 April.
China Southern Airlines has transferred flights to Terminal 2 from Wednesday 29 April.
Saudia and Middle East Airlines (MEA) have transferred flight to Terminal 2 from Thursday 30 April.
SriLankan Airlines and Bulgaria Air moved to Terminal 2 from Friday 1 May.
KLM, Alitalia, Kenya Airways, Kuwait Airways, Etihad Airways, Korean Air, Air Malta, El Al, and Malaysia Airlines will all relocate from Terminal 4 to Terminal 2 from Sunday 3 May.
Note these changes are being announced at very short notice and may also be subject to further change at short notice.
“American Airlines will transfer flights to Terminal 2 from Friday 17 April 2020.”
Interestingly American’s flight status tool still shows them as operating out of T3 on Sunday.
It was announced somewhere that all T4 airlines will move to T5 and all T3 airlines will move to T2.
When it comes to oneworld airlines, as of now Qatar haven’t yet made an announcement and their flight status checker tool show them both as operating out of T4 as of next Wednesday. That’s ‘the furtherest out’ their flight status tool reports to.
At the moment Malaysian are only operating one flight a week between LHR & KUL. Their booking system doesn’t show any other flights between these two points, but that all changes on 1st May – BA to DXB connecting to MH operated by Emirates to KUL. They have a codeshare deal (similar to Qantas) with Emirates to various European cities.
Thanks. I was advised that American (and Qantas as well) would move today but it looks like this has been delayed.