Another week has passed and therefore it’s time for our news round-up. Here’s what we found this week:
- Heathrow’s revamped Terminal 2
- Qatar’s new airport about to open
- Teen stowaway raises airport security questions
- Bieber retained at LAX
Most of you frequent travelers would have set foot on London’s Heathrow Airport terminal 2 sometime in the past as it has been around since the Fifties. You can’t remember? That’s not surprising actually as it was a rather unassuming, dull and overcrowded terminal. Not anymore, at least that’s what we are lead to believe from recent newspaper articles covering the preview of the revamped terminal. The Daily Mail for example wrote that shafts of natural light and high quality acoustics should make the building a calm space for travellers accustomed to high anxiety at dark, noisy airports. The lead architect was even quoted saying “You can never completely erase your memory of the former Terminal 2, because it was a dreadful experience. This will be completely the opposite. This will be a destination. People will want to come here.” The £2.5billion project is set to be unveiled to the public on June 4. Let’s just hope a luggage blunder we saw when Terminal 5 was opened, isn’t part of the festivities this time!
More airport advancement news reached us this week from the Middle East when Al Arabiya reported of the imminent opening of Qatar’s new Hamad International Airport. The new airport, part of Qatar’s preparations to host the soccer World Cup in 2022, was originally due to open in 2012 but the project was slowed by delays among construction firms and quality and cost issues, the newspaper wrote. The new airport will accommodate all airlines entirely from May 27.
We initially didn’t intend to cover the next story but when several media outlets raised the question of airport security based on the incident, we decided to go with it in the end. We’re of course talking about the teen stowaway case from earlier this week when a 15-year old boy sneaked into the wheel of a flight from San Jose, California (SJC) to Maui, Hawaii. CNN then wrote that immediately after the incident became known, many pointed the finger at the Transportation Security Administration but continued to write that while the TSA does play a part in an airport’s overall security, its role is largely limited to inside the airport building — the checkpoint security whereas local and airport police handle the outside — the perimeter security. This surely won’t be the last article we will read in regards to this incident as it surely has officials alerted with the main concern that if someone can climb inside the landing gear stowaway, then someone can put something more sinister in there too.
And to finish off the week, something for your gossip lovers among you: E! Online reported this week about Justin Bieber’s detention in California: After being detained nearly four hours by U.S. Customs after he flew into Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the Canadian pop star was just finally allowed to leave. According to the article Bieber left with four bodyguards in tow. Two SUVs and one van had been waiting for the group to emerge from the Tom Bradley International Terminal. Bieber climbed into one of the SUVs and was driven away.
That’s it for this week – safe travels!
[Photo from Heathrow Airport – all rights reserved]