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Symbolic figurehead helps inaugurate Heathrow's new terminal
Yesterday Queen Elizabeth II helped celebrate the opening of Heathrow's newest terminal, an $8.7 billion structure that is now the largest free-standing building in Britain. "My warmest congratulations go to everyone who has worked on this highly impressive building; it embodies many achievements of which you can be rightly proud," she said.
The terminal will be used exclusively by British Airways, whose shareholders footed the bill for this massive project. Proponents of the airport expansion say that the new terminal, which will first be used by passengers on March 27, will allow passengers to move more quickly through check-in and security. Environmentalists and other critics of the project say the new terminal will lead to more flights and more pollution. Which, of course, it will.
In other news, British Airways says they're modifying their security procedure to coincide with the introduction of the new terminal. Passengers who don't arrive at the airport at least 35 minutes before their flight is scheduled to take off will be stopped at security checkpoints and forced to re-book, instead of being allowed to run for the gate Home-Alone-style.
More here.
Filed under: United Kingdom, Airlines, Transportation, Airports
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Craig Mar 15th 2008 4:09PM
Odd headline...any reason why you seemed to feel the need to go out of the way to insult the Queen? Would you have described another head of State who is not also head of Government, such as the President of Germany or of Italy, as a "symbolic figurehead"?
Eva Mar 15th 2008 5:45PM
Odd headline, indeed.
Besides which, technically I'm pretty sure she still has the power to do a few reasonably important things. For example, when the Prime Minister asks permission to dissolve the government and hold an election, she could say no. (This is certainly the case in Canada.) She just doesn't exercise those powers much anymore.
Aaron H Mar 15th 2008 6:23PM
Alright, it was just a joke.
eerie quark doll Mar 16th 2008 7:12AM
Perhaps "chick living unopposed plush & lavish lifestyle due to holy DNA" would have been more correct.