Plans for Heathrow Airport's newest terminal are to be unveiled today.

The £1 billion Terminal 2 will become the new home for Star Alliance airlines and will provide an estimated 20 million passengers every year with a spacious and modern airport facility.

Mike Brown, Heathrow Airport's Chief Operating Officer, said: "These exciting plans will be a reality for millions of Heathrow's passengers, making every passenger journey a better one and underlining Heathrow's pre-eminent position at the heart of international travel and the global economy.

"The new Terminal 2 is part of a major programme of work already underway. Passengers travelling through Heathrow will be using new and extensively refurbished facilities which provide us with an excellent platform from which we can provide a better service to our customers than ever before."

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The development of Heathrow's Terminal 2 is part of a £4.8 billion investment across the airport, which will provide travellers using the UK's hub airport with new facilities and better service. The investment is provided at no cost to the taxpayer.

Passengers departing Terminal 2 will find 11,300m2 of floor space, accommodating self-service check-in machines, fast-bag drops, traditional check-in desks and 15 security search lanes.

In a two-level departure lounge, ten-metre high windows will provide excellent views of Heathrow's airfield and the nine new aircraft parking stands, a third of which are configured to accommodate a new generation of aircraft such as the A380.

Terminal 2 will produce 40% less carbon than the buildings it is replacing. Large north-facing windows in the roof will flood the building with natural light, reducing the need for artificial lighting without generating uncomfortable levels of heat in the building. Solar-gathering panels on the roof will further reduce the dependency on energy supplies. Additionally a new energy centre, partially fuelled by renewable resources, will provide heating and cooling for the building.

(CD/JM)