High flying plans will land us in deep trouble…
SO, yet again, it’s announced that Heathrow will definitely expand and get a third runway. Well if it ever happens – which I doubt – I wish you, me and all future passengers good luck. Heathrow cannot even cope with the numbers it has right now. When we flew back from our holiday in the US, we landed at Heathrow’s Terminal 3. It was about 10am, the flight was ahead of schedule and we were cheerfully optimistic we’d be home before noon.
As we made our way to immigration a staggering sight met our eyes. Quite suddenly the vast OPHELIA LOVIBOND (what a marvellous name for an actress!) stars as Westminster political editor Sam Peakes in the terrific Radio Four political sitcom Lobby Land (Thursdays, 11pm). Olivia of course is seen in the BBC’s priceless TV satire about itself, W1A. Blessed with the face of an angel she’s becoming one of our most interesting character actresses and I predict a breakout role taking her to a whole new level very soon. human surge came to an abrupt halt. In the middle of an anonymous corridor, passport control not even a distant prospect on the horizon, thousands (and I’m not exaggerating) of tired, dispirited and deeply fed-up travellers were simply unable to move.
Half the immigration control desks turned out to be unmanned. The wait was so long, someone had brought in dozens of crates of water, leaving them on the floor for passengers to help themselves.
When I asked an assistant (who seemed to be doing absolutely nothing) what was going on she simply shrugged and said: “It’s Friday. It’s busy.”
I have no idea how long some of those poor travellers had to wait to get through passport control. Or how many of them were powerful business folk with deals to make in the UK. I felt, frankly, ashamed of my country.
Heathrow’s present management couldn’t run a whelk stall. How they’ll cope if the airport expands is beyond me. One thing’s for sure – a third runway will be targeted at making huge profits – they certainly won’t be trying to make life easier for us, the paying customers.