No, Heathrow no longer has a Terminal 1. It closed to passengers on 29 June 2015 and, as of 2026, is partway through demolition to make way for an expansion of Terminal 2. If your booking, an old guidebook, or a sat nav entry still says "Heathrow Terminal 1," it's out of date. Every airline that used to operate from Terminal 1 moved into Terminal 2 before the building closed, so check your airline against our which terminal is my airline guide rather than heading for a building that no longer takes passengers. Checked 2026.
When did Heathrow close Terminal 1?
Terminal 1 opened to passengers in 1968 and was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II in April 1969, when it was the largest new airport terminal in Western Europe. At its peak it handled around 9 million passengers a year on domestic and short-haul European routes. It closed for good on the evening of 29 June 2015, after 47 years in service, with the final departure a British Airways flight to Hanover, the same airline that had operated the terminal's first flight back in 1968. The closure made way for the second phase of Terminal 2's expansion, and the vast majority of former Terminal 1 passengers now use Terminal 2 or Terminal 5 instead.
What happened to the building after it closed?
Terminal 1 did not come down immediately. For years after 2015, the empty building continued to support Heathrow's operation behind the scenes: it housed the baggage handling system for Terminal 2, and emergency services, including the London Fire Brigade, London Ambulance Service and the Metropolitan Police, used the vacant terminal for training exercises. In 2025, Heathrow confirmed plans to demolish the building entirely and use the land to extend Terminal 2 further. Demolition work began in 2026, starting with the dismantling of Pier 4 and the removal of more than 150 kilometres of internal service cabling, followed by the demolition of five airside buildings covering around 11,000 square metres. Heathrow has said the work is being carried out in carefully sequenced stages because of the site's close proximity to live, operational parts of the airport.
If you're searching for "Heathrow Terminal 1," here's what you probably need
- Checking in for a flight? Find your airline's current terminal using our which terminal is my airline guide rather than relying on an old booking confirmation or travel guide.
- Driving to the airport? Use the postcode for your airline's actual terminal, not Terminal 1. See our terminal postcodes for sat nav guide.
- Meeting someone off a flight? Arrivals for every airline now come through Terminal 2, Terminal 3, Terminal 4 or Terminal 5, never Terminal 1.
- Reading an old article or forum post about Heathrow? Anything describing Terminal 1 as open, or quoting prices, shops or a layout for it, predates June 2015 and should be treated as historical rather than current.
Why do people still search for Heathrow Terminal 1?
Terminal 1 operated for 47 years, so a great deal of older material referencing it is still online: travel forum posts, outdated guidebooks, old airline confirmation emails that were never updated, and even some sat nav systems with stale points of interest. British Midland International (BMI) and British Airways' domestic and short-haul European network were based there for decades before Terminal 5 and the Terminal 2 rebuild took over that traffic, so anyone who flew through Heathrow more than a decade ago may simply be recalling the terminal they remember rather than checking current information.
Is any part of Terminal 1 still standing in 2026?
Partially, but it is actively being demolished. As of 2026, demolition teams have begun removing Terminal 1's piers and airside buildings as part of Heathrow's confirmed plan to extend Terminal 2 onto the site. The building is not accessible to passengers and has not been since 2015, regardless of how much of the physical structure remains standing at any given point during the demolition programme.
Related reading
For current terminal information, see our guides to which terminal your airline uses at Heathrow, terminal-to-terminal transfers, and terminal postcodes for sat nav.
FAQs
Does Heathrow Airport still have a Terminal 1?
No. Terminal 1 closed to passengers on 29 June 2015 and is being demolished as of 2026 to make way for an expansion of Terminal 2. Every airline that used it moved to other terminals before it closed.
When did Heathrow Terminal 1 close?
29 June 2015, after 47 years in operation. The final flight was a British Airways departure to Hanover.
What replaced Heathrow Terminal 1?
Terminal 2, known as "The Queen's Terminal," absorbed the bulk of the airlines and routes that used to operate from Terminal 1, along with some traffic that moved to Terminal 5.
Is Heathrow Terminal 1 being demolished?
Yes. Demolition began in 2026 as part of Heathrow's plan to extend Terminal 2 onto the site, starting with Pier 4 and progressing through the airside buildings.
What was Heathrow Terminal 1 used for after it closed to passengers?
For several years it housed the baggage handling system supporting Terminal 2 and was used by emergency services, including the Fire Brigade, Ambulance Service and Metropolitan Police, for training exercises.
My old booking or a guidebook says Terminal 1. What should I do?
Ignore it. Check your airline's current terminal using our which terminal is my airline guide, since Terminal 1 has not operated since 2015.