Heathrow Western Hub plans revealed by the Arora Group

The Arora Group has unveiled its plans for new terminal buildings at London Heathrow Airport, as part of its bid to undertake development of Heathrow’s expansion. Known as the ‘Western Hub’, the new terminals are designed to provide capacity for over 50million additional passengers and will transform passenger experience and efficiency at the UK’s premier gateway to the World.

The estimated cost of Arora’s airport expansion plans to full capacity is £14.4bn. The competing scheme, from the existing airport company (Heathrow Airport Limited), was recently costed at more than twice this sum by the Airports Commission, at £31bn*. Arora’s new plans make airport expansion affordable and give Heathrow the best chance of success when competing with other hub airports, such as Amsterdam Schiphol and Paris-Charles De Gaulle, post-Brexit.

In recent days, HAL said it would allow companies to bid to partner with it on various parts of the expansion scheme. Arora believes this is a step in the right direction but does not yet go far enough in guaranteeing a truly competitive expansion.

Arora’s Western Hub plans have been designed by internationally acclaimed architects, Corgan, who are responsible for many of the world’s leading airport terminals. The proposals will provide a step change in Heathrow’s international standing and competitiveness.

The Arora proposals concentrate new terminal capacity on the western side of Heathrow, between the existing Terminal 5 (T5) and the M25. This avoids the need to redevelop existing terminals in the Heathrow central area (Terminals 2 and 3) which would be far more expensive and disruptive.

Instead of new, independent terminal buildings, the Western Hub integrates new passenger facilities with T5 into a single hub campus. At the heart is a new central concourse, which will serve as a single front door for all 85m passengers using the Western Hub. This building will be a magnificent and vibrant grand space, designed to amaze passengers and capture the excitement of air travel. It will provide efficient check-in facilities and compelling commercial amenities, and will include one of the UK’s largest and most important rail interchanges.

The central concourse will provide fast and easy access to both Terminal 5 and to the new Terminal 6, with an elevated bridge concourse providing panoramic views over the airfield for passengers, and easy navigation underneath for aircraft.

Surinder Arora, Founder & Chairman of the Arora Group, said: “Our approach has been to work closely with airlines and to employ the world’s best and most experienced airport designers and these benefits are clearly evident in our Western Hub plans. Heathrow has been in monopoly control for too long and our proposals show what can be achieved through an alternative approach and Heathrow fully welcoming competition.

“We welcomed Monday’s consultation from the CAA. It is helpful to have talks in place and we are eager to work with all parties to realise the best solution for Heathrow.

“We are passionate about developing a Heathrow that delivers a truly world-leading experience; one that works for airlines; one that offers passengers a top-class journey; and one that has the commercial grounding to be a long-term success for the nation to take pride in.”

Key features of the Arora Group’s Western Hub plans include:

1.    Strategic Location – all new terminal capacity located on the western side of Heathrow, close to the M25, avoiding bottlenecks associated with the M4 spur road and tunnel and far less costly and disruptive to develop.
2.    Integrated Design –stunning architectural design to transform Heathrow. New terminals concentrated in a single Western Hub campus, avoiding the inconvenience and confusion associated with separate independent terminals. This is an innovative approach, providing a single place of arrival for all 85m passengers within Arora’s Western Hub and making a step change in ease of passenger access.
3.     Integrated Rail infrastructure – a new integrated rail/air interchange within the central concourse, linking Heathrow to existing and new rail networks; a key factor in enabling the Government’s requirement for a step change in public transport use and environmental compliance.
4.     Passenger convenience – integrated design of the Western Hub is designed to minimise walking distances and connection times, and “check-in” at the rail interchange will enable passengers to check-in much earlier in their journey.
5. Cost efficiency – significantly lower development cost, arising from more efficient design and layout, leading to lower charges for airlines and passengers.
6.  Operational Efficiency– designed in close association with airlines to ensure operational efficiency, including a layout for aircraft to increase operational capacity and to ensure maximum direct access to aircraft for passengers. Location of the terminal maximises the use of the runways, minimises taxi times, and most importantly reduces the hub’s environmental impact.
7. Superior experience – smart experiential-focused design, based on learnings from the best airport terminals in the world to ensure that the Western Hub will be cutting-edge when opened and will transform passengers’ ease of journey and experience.
8.   Robust technology adaptation – fully integrated technology to improve passenger experience by boosting operational efficiency and reducing cost.  Latest automation technologies will enable:
9. Aircraft- to operate more efficiently e.g. systems, automated gates, automated tugs and airbridges
10. Passengers- Efficient baggage systems, smart security, automated guided vehicle (AGV’s) for quick connections

Jonathan Massey, Principal of Corgan’s Aviation Studio, commented: “Our plans maximise the site’s potential, incorporating a large number of gates next to T5, reducing passenger connect-times, and including an integrated public transport hub as part of an innovatively designed ‘central processor’ core area, to develop the best operational solution for Heathrow.”

Arora is competing with the airport company, Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) for expansion development rights. These proposals move Arora ahead of the game as HAL doesn’t yet have a clear proposal and is far more costly.  The costs of airport expansion will be passed on to airlines and passengers and Heathrow is already one of the most expensive airports in the world.

Sir Rod Eddington, former British Airways CEO and member of the Arora Group Heathrow Expansion Advisory Board, commented: “Heathrow used to be the premium global aviation hub but has suffered under the current monopoly, which has seen it drop below other European airports. Arora is best placed to deliver true competition and return Heathrow to its place as the top-tier international airport, which is critical in a post-Brexit Britain.”

Airlines operating from Heathrow have consistently voiced concerns about HAL’s ability to undertake Heathrow expansion in a cost-effective manner and have called for competitive principles to be adopted to ensure that expansion is undertaken by the best party and to ensure that it is a success. Airlines have therefore welcomed the Arora proposals.

A spokesperson from International Airlines Group (IAG, the holding company of British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling) said: “Competition at Heathrow is critical to keeping costs low and we call on the Government to break up the airport’s monopoly and allow third parties to run terminals. The Arora proposal looks very interesting and deserves to be properly evaluated so that customers can get the best facilities at the most affordable price”.

CraigKreeger , CEO, Virgin Atlantic, said: “Heathrow expansion is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to challenge the status quo and build the right airport for the future.  Arora have developed a plan that will bring down the cost of construction and inject competition at the UK’s hub airport.  At first look, this plan appears to be a credible alternative.  Virgin Atlantic believes passionately in the benefits of competition to consumers, so we urge all involved in Heathrow expansion to give the Arora plan serious consideration.”