T5 project 12 months ahead of schedule

Construction of BAA's Terminal 5 (T5) is almost a year ahead of schedule, according to the airports operator.

Speaking to The Independent newspaper BAA said that the £4.2bn T5 project was now 35% complete and that four new aircraft stands were coming into use 11 months ahead of schedule.

T5, which will be occupied solely by British Airways and its partners in the Oneworld alliance, is due to enter service in 2008.

As part of its £8bn investment plan, BAA plans to spend £840m at Gatwick to increase traffic levels from 30 million passengers now to just over 40 million

At Stansted, £660m has been earmarked to lift passenger numbers to 34 million by 2013-14.

BAA's £8bn figure excludes any spending on a second runway at Stansted, which the government wants to see in operation by 2011-12.