Editing Heathrow Airport (section)

==History==
[[File:Aerial photograph of Heathrow Airport, 1955.jpg|thumb|right|Aerial photo of Heathrow Airport from the 1950s, before the terminals were built]]
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{{For|a chronicled history of Heathrow Airport|History of Heathrow Airport}}
Heathrow Airport began in 1929 as a small airfield ([[Great West Aerodrome]]) on land southeast of [[Heathrow (hamlet)|the hamlet of Heathrow from which the airport takes its name]]. At that time the land consisted of farms, [[market garden]]s and [[orchard]]s; there was a "Heathrow Farm" approximately where the modern Terminal 2 is situated, a "Heathrow Hall" and a "Heathrow House." This hamlet was largely along a country lane (Heathrow Road), which ran roughly along the east and south edges of the present central terminals area.{{cn|date=May 2025}}

Development of the whole Heathrow area as a much larger airport began in 1944 during [[World War II]]. It was intended for long-distance military aircraft bound for the Far East. By the time some of the airfield's runways were usable, World War II had ended, and the UK Government continued to develop the site as a civil airport. The airport was opened on 25 March 1946 as London Airport. The airport was renamed Heathrow Airport in the last week of September 1966, to avoid confusion with the other two airports which serve London, [[Gatwick]] and [[Stansted]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Copps |first1=Alan |title=Airport News: Flights May Be Halted by Pay Freeze Row |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122374618/airport-news-flights-may-be-halted-by-p/ |work=[[Middlesex Chronicle]] |date=30 September 1966 |page=8 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |quote=BAA this week announced their intention to revive the name Heathrow as the official title of the airport. This, they say, is being done to avoid confusion with the other two airports which serve London, Gatwick and Stansted. In future, they will refer to what is now known as London Airport as Heathrow Airport-London.}}</ref> The design for the airport was by [[Sir Frederick Gibberd]]. He set out the original terminals and central-area buildings, including the original control tower and the multi-faith Chapel of St George's.