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  • Looking up through a transparent floor, we see motionless passengers standing and waiting for a lift to arrive at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 'Heathrow Express' train link to central London. With their possessions of wheelie bags and a trolley laden wuth luggage, the unseen peoples' feet make a hard impression on the flooring with strong diagonal lines of this industrial design by architects HOK International in conjunction with Rogers, Stirk, Harbour & Partners. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ...
    heathrow_airport813-22-07-2009.jpg
  • An empty landscape of stark architecture situated on the ground floor of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 'Heathrow Express' train link station. Iron supporting pillars have been sunk into concrete making an aesthetic of industrial beauty amid the bustle of a major aviation airport hub. .Designed by architects HOK International in conjunction with Rogers, Stirk, Harbour & Partners. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ...
    heathrow_airport805-22-07-2009.jpg
  • Heathrow Express station architecture at Heathrow airport's Terminal 5.
    heathrow_airport802-22-07-2009.jpg
  • Heathrow Express passenger struggles through barrier in Heathrow train station at Heathrow's terminal 3.
    heathrow_airport708-17-07-2009.jpg
  • A passenger's leg is seen on the floor of a Heathrow Express train between terminals at Heathrow Airport. .
    heathrow_airport1675-24-08-2009.jpg
  • An accumulation of badges show where a passenger on board a Heathrow Express train to Heathrow Airport has travelled to. Sewn onto the traveller's rucksack, the countries represented by these patches show a much-travelled young person who has amassed a collection of world air miles and travel experiences, with their national flags and emblems on display in a way that adventurers show their routes and wanderlust to others, perhaps as proof of a lifetime wandering the world's borders and airports. As each badge is added, it accounts for new travel companions and the hazards and joys of modern air travel. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport714-22-07-2009.jpg
  • Heathrow Express station barrier architecture at Heathrow airport's terminal 5.
    heathrow_airport654-17-07-2009.jpg
  • Heathrow Express station architecture at Heathrow airport's Terminal 5.
    heathrow_airport807-22-07-2009.jpg
  • A male security operative uncovers forbidden bottle of Vodka among a passenger's hand baggage during search at Heathrow T5
    heathrow_airport1470-18-08-2009.jpg
  • Individual trays for airline baggage in the Early Bags Store where 4,000 pieces are held. 50-70,000 pieces of British Airways baggage a day travel through 11 miles of conveyor belts which were installed in a 5-storey underground hall beneath the 400m (a quarter of a mile) length of Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport. Here we see items of luggage spending 4 hours in transit, held in a fully-automated parking lot for bags. Computers decide when to fish the item out and re-introduce it into the system and load it on to the appropriate aircraft. T5 alone has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year and was completed in 2008 at a cost of £4.3bn. The system was designed by an integrated team from the airport operator BAA, BA and Vanderlande Industries of the Netherlands, and handles both intra-terminal and inter-terminal luggage. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport1187-13-08-2009.jpg
  • NHS Paramedic Janet Greenhead attends to a lady passenger in Heathrow airport's terminal 3 who has tripped on escalators and badly gashed her leg. Janet applies a dressing and cleans the deep wound before advising the lady to visit a local hospital. Paramedics 'Responders' are with the cycle response unit (CRU), part of the London Ambulance Service whose job is to attend injuries within Heathrow, cycling through the terminals on mountain bikes. She answers radio calls from those with a cut finger, a baggage handler who's injured an arm, a child who's fallen over with cuts and bruises or a much more serious incident like a cardiac arrest which are common in an airport where passengers feel under stress or who forget to take their medicines while jet lagged. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1207-13-08-2009.jpg
  • Heathrow Express lift passengers exiting lift at Heathrow airport's terminal 5.
    heathrow_airport652-17-07-2009.jpg
  • Heathrow Express lift passengers with matching baggage in Heathrow airport's terminal 5.
    heathrow_airport651-17-07-2009.jpg
  • Amid the hectic arrivals concourse of Heathrow airport's Terminal 5, two friends hold on to each other tight after an international arrival. Standing in front of a Mastercard ad which shows scenes of London, the coupe squeeze each other tight amid an otherwise hectic airport concourse in heathrow's Terminal 5. They have clearly missed each other after such a break apart but are otherwise oblivious to the crowds that surround them in this busy international airport. They embrace with genuine affection for each other in a display of sexual freedom that is otherwise seen as a taboo in other countries. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport592-15-07-2009.jpg
  • A No Sharp objects warning is plain to see as a British Airways check-in employee attaches a luggage tag to the suitcase of a Business Class passenger about to take a long-haul flight from London Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. The bag is about to disappear down the conveyor belt to join up to 70,000 other items during this average day at T5. With a bar code to identify both the bag and its owner's destination as well as the three letter IATA code, the bag enters 11 miles of underground conveyor belts beneath the 400m (a quarter of a mile) length of Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport. T5 alone has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year and was completed in 2008 at a cost of £4.3bn. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1414-18-08-2009.jpg
  • NHS Paramedic Janet Greenhead cycles through the departures concourse on her Specialized Rockhopper mountain bike in Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. Janet is a Responder with the cycle response unit (CRU), a part of the London Ambulance Service whose job it is to attend injuries within Heathrow's terminals. Pedalling the heavy bike laden with 55kg of medical emergency equipment she answers the calls from those with a cut finger, a baggage handler who's injured an arm, a child who's fallen over with cuts and bruises or a much more serious incident like a cardiac arrest which are common in an airport where passengers feel under stress or who forget to take their medicines while jet lagged. During a busy shift, she could end up cycling more than eight miles. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1134-12-08-2009.jpg
  • Heathrow writer-in-residence, Alain de Botton writes his airport novel in Departures at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5.
    heathrow_airport1441-18-08-2009.jpg
  • Heathrow writer-in-residence, Alain de Botton writes his airport novel in Departures at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5.
    heathrow_airport1435-18-08-2009.jpg
  • Through a transparent floor passengers await a lift to arrive at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 'Heathrow Express' station
    heathrow_airport1287-16-08-2009.jpg
  • A Multi-faith worship room in the departures section at Heathrow airport's Terminal 5. .
    heathrow_airport878-10-08-2009.jpg
  • Heathrow Express lift passenger's foot and architecture at Heathrow airport's terminal 5.
    heathrow_airport655-17-07-2009.jpg
  • Greeting drivers await their passengers to arrive off a flight from Beijing. In the hectic international arrivals concourse of Heathrow's Terminal 5, the men hold up name boards to attract the attention of those Chinese nationals who are new students at a Bournemouth language college called Education First (EF), based on England's south coast. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport403-13-07-2009.jpg
  • A departures information board at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 is viewed by passengers who stands motionless to read the details of flight departure times to echo that of a Vodafone advertisement containing a tourist on a beach, a generic scene of a person on holiday taking advantage of low mobile phone charges in mainland Europe.  A finger from an unseen traveller points to a flight time and to ladies stand gazing up at the check-in guide that helps tell which is the check-in zone of this 400 metre-long terminal that has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ..
    heathrow_airport1649-24-08-2009.jpg
  • A departing lover hugs her boyfriend farewell before her long-haul flight in the Departures concourse at. Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. While embracing her young man, she gazes off into the distance amid the otherwise busy airport terminal where the emotions of parting as well as the joys of reunited loved-ones are played out in various parts of aviation hubs around the world. They are both in their own worlds, removed from the noise and confusion of other passengers. Her departure is brief and yet their sadness of being separated is plainly too much to bear. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1483-19-08-2009.jpg
  • Security employed by contractor OCS searches a passenger at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. Teams of 5-8 perform a rotational order of tasks, changing every 20 minutes: A loader (asking travellers to take off clothing, shoes etc); archway detectors; X-ray operator; liquid tester and bag searcher. The X-ray operator can earn a £50 bonus for a suspect item randomly inserted by undercover officials and known as an Airlock Find. Also, a Tip is a random image flashed on the screen that shows a suspect item they have to spot. A typical day of searched passengers is 25,000 passengers in T5. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1467-18-08-2009.jpg
  • Meat salads are stacked in readiness for an airline flight in the world's largest independent provider of airline catering and provisioning services, Gate Gourmet, on the southern perimeter road at Heathrow Airport, West London. Gate Gourmet serve more than 200 million meals on 2 million airline flights a year to their 250-plus airline customers at more than 100 airport locations around the globe. Apart from creating the bespoke meals for an airline's culture and ethnic demands, that pack the pre-flight carts, deliver and load into the aircraft galleys and afterwards, they dispose of the waste and strip, wash and sterilize the equipment. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1353-18-08-2009.jpg
  • Airline passengers make their way along jetties from their newly-arrived aircraft, towards the arrivals concourse in Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. We see four lines of jetties that are owned by the airport operator, used by British Airways and sponsored by HSBC. Air travellers walk briskly after their long-haul flight either carrying light carry-on bags or towing small cases on wheels. At a cost of £4.3 billion, Terminal 5 has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ..
    heathrow_airport1201-13-08-2009.jpg
  • An wide exterior view of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 building in West London. Created by the Richard Rogers Partnership (now Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners). As the last light of the day fades, the brightness of terminal lights shine through massive panes of window glass. At a cost of £4.3 billion, the 400m long T5 is the largest free-standing building in the UK with the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year. The Terminal 5 public inquiry was the longest in UK history, lasting four years from 1995 to 1999. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ...
    heathrow_airport1082-11-08-2009.jpg
  • Seen from an aerial walkway, we look down on a lady airline passenger being helped to pull her heavy suitacse from the carousel in the baggage reclaim hall in the arrivals of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. 50-70,000 pieces of British Airways baggage a day travel through 11 miles of conveyor belts which were installed in a 5-storey underground hall beneath the 400m (a quarter of a mile) length of Terminal 5. T5 alone has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year and was completed in 2008 at a cost of £4.3bn. The system was designed by an integrated team from the airport operator BAA, BA and Vanderlande Industries of the Netherlands, and handles both intra-terminal and inter-terminal luggage. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport459-14-07-2009.jpg
  • A resting passenger sleeps on a specially-designed circular couch near airport gates during his layover transit period at Heathrow airport's Terminal 5. The man has jet lag after a long-haul flight across continents and now needs to re-adjust to British Summer time (BST). Vast sheets of window glass lets in natural daylight in this tranquil area where travellers can remain largely undisturbed from the otherwise hectic airport terminal created by the Richard Rogers Partnership (now Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners). From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport40-10-07-2009.jpg
  • Showing the face of a man who enjoys his job, a chef reaches for a ladle hanging inside an extractor cover in the kitchens at the Vivre restaurant in Sofitel, a 605 bedroom, 27 suite and 45 meeting room accommodation and business hub Heathrow Airport's hub hotel attached to Terminal 5. The man is wearing a tall chef's hat called a toque and his uniform is pristine to reflect the hygiene standards expected of this luxury hotel and restaurant. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1224-15-08-2009.jpg
  • Heathrow Express passenger and sunglasses advertising seen en route between airport terminals.
    heathrow_airport719-22-07-2009.jpg
  • Heathrow writer-in-residence, Alain de Botton writes his airport novel in Departures at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5.
    heathrow_airport1436-18-08-2009.jpg
  • Lone lady awaiting her luggage from domestic baggage reclaim carousel at Heathrow's Terminal 5.
    heathrow_airport528-14-07-2009.jpg
  • Heathrow writer-in-residence, Alain de Botton writes his airport novel in Departures at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5.
    heathrow_airport1438-18-08-2009.jpg
  • Heathrow writer-in-residence, Alain de Botton writes his airport novel near 747 in Departures at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5.
    heathrow_airport1125-12-08-2009.jpg
  • In the British Airways Galleries First lounge at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5, an unseen business passenger hides his face while reading the Business section of the Daily Telegraph. With his laptop perched across his knees the anonymous man sits by a window where natural light is a feature of this exclusive facility (only available to passengers travelling in First and Gold Executive Club members) designed by Artwise. The lounge's 15,000 sq ft complex was built at the cost of £60 million. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ..
    heathrow_airport913-10-08-2009.jpg
  • Two elderly passengers have stopped by in a retail space called World of Duty Free to taste Scottish Malt Whiskey in Terminal 5 at heathrow Airport. The two South-Africans travel widely across the world to visit their extended family and like to stop by this shop to try the various blends of Scotch with the help of a sales person who helps them decide which bottles to buy. Together they swallow the fine alcohol and taste its delicate and subtle differences. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport132-13-07-2009.jpg
  • An exterior view of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 building in West London. Created by the Richard Rogers Partnership (now Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners). A British Airways airliner is parked at its Arrival/Departure gate in front of the bright lights that shine through huge window panes of glass. At a cost of £4.3 billion, the 400m long T5 is the largest free-standing building in the UK with the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year. The Terminal 5 public inquiry was the longest in UK history, lasting four years from 1995 to 1999. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ...
    heathrow_airport1081-11-08-2009.jpg
  • The legs of anonymous airline employees are seen from below a smoking screen that obscures their faces outside Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 building. In afternoon sunshine, the women wear their airline uniforms and are sharing an off-duty puff on their cigarettes as part of their working shift at this international aviation hub. Without seeing their upper-bodies, we imagine their conversation and gossip. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport1058-11-08-2009.jpg
  • In the British Airways Galleries First lounge at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5, two businessmen sit with identical laptops open, perched on their knees. The colleagues are en-route to Australia and are enjoying this exclusive facility (only available to passengers travelling in First and Gold Executive Club members) designed by Artwise. The lounge's 15,000 sq ft complex was built at the cost of £60 million. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport921-10-08-2009.jpg
  • As afternoon light fades, we see an incongruous landscape of false forest trees amid an industrial airport lot. A supporting pillar from the hotel chain, Sofitel, a 605 bedroom, 27 suite and 45 meeting room accommodation and business hub, is situated at the Heathrow Airport 's Terminal 5 hotel. The woodland screen is hiding a wasteland of undeveloped land that may soon be another airport hotel but at the moment, it makes for a strange rural/urban scene where the viewer is not sure where reality stops and fiction takes over. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport862-22-07-2009.jpg
  • Amid the hectic arrivals concourse of Heathrow airport's Terminal 5, a young couple hold on to each other tight after a few weeks separation when the girl took a family holiday away from her boyfriend who needed to work here in London. They have clearly missed each other after such a short break from each other but are otherwise oblivious to the crowds that surround them in this busy international airport. They embrace with genuine affection for each other in a display of sexual freedom that is otherwise seen as a taboo in other countries. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport602-15-07-2009.jpg
  • Amid the hectic arrivals concourse of Heathrow airport's Terminal 5, a young couple kiss and hold on to each other after a few weeks separation when the girl took a family holiday away from her boyfriend who needed to work here in London. They have clearly missed each other after such a short break from each other but are otherwise oblivious to the crowds that surround them in this busy international airport. The boy holds the girl's bottom in a display of sexuality that is frowned upon in other cultures where open sexual behaviour is taboo. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport601-15-07-2009.jpg
  • After their flight from Italy where they have been performing a series of summer concerts, some young musicians stop to await instructions from their accompanying teacher at Oakham School, England. Amid the hectic concourse of Heathrow airport's Terminal 5, a cellist has removed her precious string instrument to inspect it for damage after its shipment in the hold of a British Airways flight. As their friends look on, a fellow-player helps re-wrap the cello in a pink towel before the whole group re-assemble again to begin their evening journey home. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport530-14-07-2009.jpg
  • While working on his book, "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009), the writer Alain de Botton's sits in an airline seat at the British Airways' corporate headquarters at Waterside at Harmondsworth near Heathrow Airport.
    heathrow_airport1642-20-08-2009.jpg
  • During the turnround of the British Airways jet aircraft, a refueller checks the safety of heavy fuel nozzles that connect from his bowser truck on the apron at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. He is ensuring the correct plugging of the connections as some 109 tons of Jet A1 aviation fuel flow at a rate of 3,000 litres a minute which is being uplifted into the wing tanks of this Boeing 747-300, a typical quantity of extra fuel for this aeroplane bound for Los Angeles. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1589-20-08-2009.jpg
  • Honeymooners cuddle in front of other passengers before their round-the-world adventure, leaving from Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5B. The couple are seen embracing at the departure gate as the remaining air travellers filter through the last security checks and board their long-haul flight. The young lady has a look of contentment on her face, the look of happiness and comfort in the arms of her new husband and they hug with all the affection of young love and trust. Another passenger grins in their direction during this show of devotion. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1524-19-08-2009.jpg
  • A lady employee of the world's largest independent provider of airline catering and provisioning services, Gate Gourmet, wheels a galley trolley to be filled with fresh airline food in the company's factory on the southern perimeter road at Heathrow Airport, West London. Gate Gourmet serve more than 200 million meals on 2 million airline flights a year to their 250-plus airline customers at more than 100 airport locations around the globe. Apart from creating the bespoke meals for an airline's culture and ethnic demands, that pack the pre-flight carts, deliver and load into the aircraft galleys and afterwards, they dispose of the waste and strip, wash and sterilize the equipment. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1376-18-08-2009.jpg
  • We look down behind an airline passenger who is alone on seating in the departures concourse of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. Mourning the death of a mother, the lady sits with a floral tribute to the recently-deceased relative whose name 'Mum' is laid out next to her in pink flowers. On her lap is the organic Soil Association's magazine Living Earth. Perhaps the woman is on her way to a family funeral and is flying from T5 on this sad flight. Amid the otherwise bustling international airport, the woman seeks solace and tries to sleep before her check-in zone opens. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1122-12-08-2009.jpg
  • With traffic cones arranged to avoid accidents in the darkness, the spinning turbofan blades of a British Airways Boeing jet aircraft are highlighted by the headlights of an airfield vehicle during the airliner's overnight turnaround at Heathrow Airport. The beauty of the engine's cowling and the wing to which it is attached shows the marvel of its engineering, of its magnificent aviation design. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).  Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1099-11-08-2009.jpg
  • With faint traces of an evening metor shower in the sky, a wide exterior view of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 building in West London. Created by the Richard Rogers Partnership (now Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners). As the last light of the day fades and a departing aircraft's lights streak across the sky, the brightness of terminal lights shine through massive panes of window glass. At a cost of £4.3 billion, the 400m long T5 is the largest free-standing building in the UK with the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year. The Terminal 5 public inquiry was the longest in UK history, lasting four years from 1995 to 1999. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ......
    heathrow_airport1083-11-08-2009.jpg
  • WH Smiths travel literature on sale in departures shopping area of Heathrow airport's Terminal 5.
    heathrow_airport945-10-08-2009.jpg
  • As a Virgin jet takes off overhead, airline employees stop for a cigarette break near the smoking shelter at Heathrow's T5.
    heathrow_airport748-22-07-2009.jpg
  • Female security operative feels around a lady passenger's back for suspect items during search at Heathrow Airport's T5
    heathrow_airport1462-18-08-2009.jpg
  • TV news on screen in luxury room at hotel chain Sofitel at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5.
    heathrow_airport1108-12-08-2009.jpg
  • An employee raises his hand during airport operator BAA's company meeting at Heathrow's Terminal 5.
    heathrow_airport03-10-07-2009.jpg
  • A female security officer has spotted an abandoned bag with the words 'Giraffe To Go' on the side, inside a lift of Heathrow airport's Terminal 5. The woman talks urgently but calmly using her walkie-talkie. She needs to report it to her controllers as a suspicious package but may turn out to be an innocent lunch bag left by a hurrying and absent-minded passenger, realising their flight is about to close, instead of a bomb left by a malicious terrorist. The lady bends down to give as accurate description as she can before airport police arrive to determine how serious the treat is and possibly order a costly evacuation. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport505-14-07-2009.jpg
  • Wing tips and tails from British Airways 747-400 jet airliners are almost touching during their respective turnrounds while on the apron outside Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 building. A passing aircraft taxies past on the left and the other two planes have wingtip devices increase the lift generated at the wingtip which smooth the airflow across the upper wing near the tip and reduce the lift-induced drag caused by wingtip vortices. This improves lift-to-drag ratio and increases fuel efficiency, in powered aircraft. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ..
    heathrow_airport1593-20-08-2009.jpg
  • The main nose wheel of a British Airways airliner is parked on a stand at Heathrow Airport. The identifying names of the Boeing type range such as 777s, 767, 747 and 757s are also stencilled on the apron concrete to allow exact distances for expandable air bridges and other airfield vehicles to connect and service these differing-sized commercial airliners. The pilot has devices inside and outside to gauge the exact spot to break to a standstill though these marks are largely unsighted to them, high up in the cockpit. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ..
    heathrow_airport1570-20-08-2009.jpg
  • A female member of the Thomas Cook staff issues foreign currency to an unseen airline passenger in the departures concourse at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. This Bureau de Change is one of two companies trading in foreign exchange, travel insurance and travellers cheques for passengers passing through this aviation hub is west London. We see on the wall behind the assistant, a beach paradise scene of palm trees, calm seas and beach chalets, the idea of tranquillity and prosperity. On the left are the exchange rates for the world's currencies for purchase at this kiosk. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1135-12-08-2009.jpg
  • A wide night view looking down on the rubber-stained of runway 27R at Heathrow Airport. During a time-exposure and partially-lit by the headlights and spotlights of an airfield emergency vehicle, we see the giant numbers 27 that landing pilots will see from a mile away as they descend towards the airport's threshold. The numbers relate to the compass bearing that the line of the runway takes: In this case 270 degrees from north and has a parallel southern twin. Across the number two we also see a set of taxiway lights that help the steering pilot navigate across the airfield and line-up on the departing runway. .From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1105-11-08-2009.jpg
  • Traditional Chinese from Taiwan edition book cover of Alain de Botton's "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" containing photography by Richard Baker.
    heathrow_taiwan.jpg
  • We see a welcome screen at the British Airways Galleries Club lounge at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. This exclusive facility is only available to passengers travelling open to passengers travelling in First, Club World and Club Europe as well as Gold and Silver Executive Club members and was designed by Artwise. The lounge's 15,000 sq ft complex was built at the cost of £60 million. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport929-10-08-2009.jpg
  • Mothers and sons hug emotionally in the international arrivals hall of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 airport. Three families have gathered to meet their respective sons who have been travelling around the world during their university gap year sabbatical trip of a lifetime. With balloons and banners amid the hectic concourse where other relatives greet their loved-ones after months away from home on their adventures. This is a tradition practised across the world's airports where families are separated by the need to travel or work in other countries and the emotion of meeting again after long absences is always hard. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport83-13-07-2009.jpg
  • A young mother holds up her daughter to insert a letter into a post box at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. The girl half-climbs up the red pillar box and tries to get the postage item into the narrow slot which is an even tighter fit because of security considerations - avoiding larger and potentially dangerous packages from entering the airport's postal system. In the background we see the bustle of a departures concourse where British Airways passengers walk past after having checked-in at BA's hub terminal. At a cost of £4.3 billion, Terminal 5 has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ..
    heathrow_airport684-17-07-2009.jpg
  • Two elderly but travel-wise passengers read the morning newspapers while awaiting their check-in zone to open in Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 departures concourse. The front page of the Daily Mail proclaims that Swine Flu is getting more serious after a period of summer when schools are about to re-open and temperatures about to drop for autumn. With their baggage stacked on a trolley the couple wait patiently after an early morning coach brought them to this aviation hub for BA only flights. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ..
    heathrow_airport667-17-07-2009.jpg
  • A helium-filled Welcome Home balloon floats in the air and a home-made banner stretches across Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 arrivals hall. Three families have gathered to meet their respective sons who have been travelling around the world during their university gap year sabbatical trip of a lifetime. With balloon and banner amid the hectic concourse where other relatives greet their loved-ones after months away from home on their adventures. This is a tradition practised across the world's airports where families are separated by the need to travel or work in other countries and the emotion of meeting again after long absences is always hard. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport63-13-07-2009.jpg
  • A scene of busy modern air travel as international passengers check-in at the British Airways Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. Under the gaze of a giant eye that seems to be peering from out of a massive TV screen, the self-service kiosks that have been developed to allow customers to process their own ticketing on arrival at this aviation hub for British Airways. Once they've chosen their seat and printed a boarding pass, they can go straight to the Fast Bag Drop desk at the airport. There, baggage will be tagged by an agent and sent to the aircraft. At a cost of £4.3 billion, Terminal 5 has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ...
    heathrow_airport626-15-07-2009.jpg
  • An upright picture of a departures information board at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. A lady passenger stands motionless to read the details of flight departure times to echo that of a Vodafone advertisement containing a figure of a man standing erect on a beach, a generic scene of a person on holiday taking advantage of low mobile phone charges in mainland Europe.  Both the man and the woman are on opposite sides of the picture and we see a large letter C that denotes the check-in zone of this 400 metre-long terminal that has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ..
    heathrow_airport625-15-07-2009.jpg
  • A close-up detail of teenage words, written in marker pen on a young person's arm in the departures concourse of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. Holding the handles of her baggage trolley that has an open bag in which we see some possessions, the girl displays the words 'I (heart) love you' and the name of Kentin Bisou. It may be a declaration of true love or just a teenage prank before an adventure starts from this aviation hub. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport619-15-07-2009.jpg
  • Towing her suitcase after havng cleared International Customs, a masked female passenger walks through arrivals in Terminal 5 of Heathrow Airport. In the belief that she is protecting herself from airborne diseases and infections, the lady walks smartly through the concourse not wishing to be exposed to Swine Flu or perhaps SARS, in a hectic public place where such bacteria can be transmitted from one human being to another. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport57-13-07-2009.jpg
  • The three letter IATA codes for some of the world's airport destinations have been used as part of an art design in a plaza outside Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. An arc of these neon-lit codes form an arch on a panel near one of the 1,500 semi mature trees. Illuminated in a sequence, they are all lit here before the sequence re-starts and they all become dimmed. Terminal 5 was created by the Richard Rogers Partnership (now Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners) and has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport544-14-07-2009.jpg
  • A helium-filled Welcome Home balloon floats in the air in Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 arrivals hall. Three families have gathered to meet their respective sons who have been travelling around the world during their university gap year sabbatical trip of a lifetime. Floating upwards, the balloon is brightly coloured amid the hectic concourse where other relatives greet their loved-ones after months away from home on their adventures. This is a tradition practised across the world's airports where families are separated by the need to travel or work in other countries and the emotion of meeting again after long absences is always hard. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport50-13-07-2009.jpg
  • Boys from a Scottish scout group sit and in the departures concourse of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. All wearing traditional kilts favoured by the Scots, the lads are en-route between Switzerland and Scotland after a week's international jamboree in the Alps. Their sleeves are filled with the stitched badges of past achievements and one reads a newspaper while the others pass away the time before their flight by watching other passengers. The kilt's are alternately red and green and historically, relate to their wearers old family clans. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport486-14-07-2009.jpg
  • Seen from an aerial walkway, we look down on a lady airline passengers struggling to separate two trolleys in the baggage reclaim hall in the arrivals of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. 50-70,000 pieces of British Airways baggage a day travel through 11 miles of conveyor belts which were installed in a 5-storey underground hall beneath the 400m (a quarter of a mile) length of Terminal 5. T5 alone has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year and was completed in 2008 at a cost of £4.3bn. The system was designed by an integrated team from the airport operator BAA, BA and Vanderlande Industries of the Netherlands, and handles both intra-terminal and inter-terminal luggage. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport464-14-07-2009.jpg
  • We look down on the zigzag of passenger jetties that transport air travellers from their aircraft, towards the arrivals concourse in Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. A series of walkways that are covered from above but which have window light to the side are connected to the fuselage of a British Airways 747-400 series airliner that is parked at its gate on the apron of this aviation hub. These jetties are owned by the airport operator, used by British Airways and sponsored by HSBC. Air travellers walk briskly after their long-haul flight either carrying light carry-on bags or towing small cases on wheels. At a cost of £4.3 billion, Terminal 5 has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ..
    heathrow_airport449-14-07-2009.jpg
  • A greeting driver attempts to identify one of his passengers from a group of non-English-speaking young people who have just arrived off a flight from Beijing. In the hectic international arrivals concourse of Heathrow's Terminal 5, the man hold up a name board to attract the attention of those Chinese nationals who are new students at a Bournemouth language college called Education First (EF), based on England's south coast. With the help of a chaperone, the man points to a young girl in the hope she might be on his list. Neither speak each other's mother tongue and the language barrier is difficult to overcome. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport424-13-07-2009.jpg
  • An elderly lady receives a consultation from a professional beautician in the Clinique Bar at World Duty Free in Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. In a quiet corner of peace and tranquility, the woman's face is examined in detail using a magnifying lens that allows the assistant to see every hair follicle and pore. Amid the busy departures terminal of this international aviation hub, this is a corner of quiet and tranquillity before the woman traveller boards her flight after this few minutes of pampering. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport160-13-07-2009.jpg
  • During the turnround of the British Airways jet aircraft, a refueller drags the heavy fuel nozzle from his bowser truck on the apron at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. He is about to plug the connections into the airfield's underground reservoirs from where some 109 tons of Jet A1 aviation fuel flowing at a rate of 3,000 litres a minute will be uplifted into the wing tanks of a Boeing 747-300, a typical quantity of extra fuel for this aeroplane bound for Los Angeles. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1582-20-08-2009.jpg
  • A disabled airline passenger makes her own way through the Departures concourse of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. Pushing her racing wheelchair, possibly for a race in another country, the lady heads for a British Airways check-in zone before a long-haul flight to compete as a paraplegic. Pushing her possessions on an airport trolley, she speeds through the terminal showing tanned, muscular arms and a bottle of Evian mineral water. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1487-19-08-2009.jpg
  • A slightly comical scene of modern air travel as two lady passengers haul matching suitcases at the British Airways self-check-in kiosk at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. The self-service kiosks that have been developed to allow customers to process their own ticketing on arrival at this aviation hub for British Airways. Once they've chosen their seat and printed a boarding pass, they can go straight to the Fast Bag Drop desk at the airport. There, baggage will be tagged by an agent and sent to the aircraft. At a cost of £4.3 billion, Terminal 5 has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ...
    heathrow_airport1434-18-08-2009.jpg
  • A chef working for the world's largest independent provider of airline catering and provisioning services, Gate Gourmet, fries Welsh Lamb cutlets in the company's factory on the southern perimeter road at Heathrow Airport, West London. Gate Gourmet serve more than 200 million meals on 2 million airline flights a year to their 250-plus airline customers at more than 100 airport locations around the globe. Apart from creating the bespoke meals for an airline's culture and ethnic demands, that pack the pre-flight carts, deliver and load into the aircraft galleys and afterwards, they dispose of the waste and strip, wash and sterilize the equipment. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1368-18-08-2009.jpg
  • A production line of lady employees from the world's largest independent provider of airline catering and provisioning services, Gate Gourmet, prepare salad trays in the company's factory on the southern perimeter road at Heathrow Airport, West London. Gate Gourmet serve more than 200 million meals on 2 million airline flights a year to their 250-plus airline customers at more than 100 airport locations around the globe. Apart from creating the bespoke meals for an airline's culture and ethnic demands, that pack the pre-flight carts, deliver and load into the aircraft galleys and afterwards, they dispose of the waste and strip, wash and sterilize the equipment. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1361-18-08-2009.jpg
  • A production line of lady employees from the world's largest independent provider of airline catering and provisioning services, Gate Gourmet, prepare salad trays in the company's factory on the southern perimeter road at Heathrow Airport, West London. Gate Gourmet serve more than 200 million meals on 2 million airline flights a year to their 250-plus airline customers at more than 100 airport locations around the globe. Apart from creating the bespoke meals for an airline's culture and ethnic demands, that pack the pre-flight carts, deliver and load into the aircraft galleys and afterwards, they dispose of the waste and strip, wash and sterilize the equipment. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1357-18-08-2009.jpg
  • A lady employee of the world's largest independent provider of airline catering and provisioning services, Gate Gourmet, reaches out to add the last items in the company's factory on the southern perimeter road at Heathrow Airport, West London. Gate Gourmet serve more than 200 million meals on 2 million airline flights a year to their 250-plus airline customers at more than 100 airport locations around the globe. Apart from creating the bespoke meals for an airline's culture and ethnic demands, that pack the pre-flight carts, deliver and load into the aircraft galleys and afterwards, they dispose of the waste and strip, wash and sterilize the equipment. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1349-18-08-2009.jpg
  • A British Airways baggage handler scans the bar code of his airline passenger's item of luggage before loading it into the aircraft hold container bins. 50-70,000 pieces of BA baggage a day travel through 11 miles of conveyor belts which were installed in a 5-storey underground hall beneath the 400m (a quarter of a mile) length of Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport. T5 alone has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year and was completed in 2008 at a cost of £4.3bn. The system was designed by an integrated team from the airport operator BAA, BA and Vanderlande Industries of the Netherlands, and handles both intra-terminal and inter-terminal luggage. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport1200-13-08-2009.jpg
  • 50-70,000 pieces of British Airways baggage a day travel through these 11 miles of conveyor belts which were installed in a 5-storey underground hall beneath the 400m (a quarter of a mile) length of Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport. T5 alone has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year and was completed in 2008 at a cost of £4.3bn. The system was designed by an integrated team from the airport operator BAA, BA and Vanderlande Industries of the Netherlands, and handles both intra-terminal and inter-terminal luggage. There are four colour codes: Yellow for out-of-gauge (oversized, like golf clubs); dark blue for not x-rayed; light blue for transfer and red, meaning the item has been subjected to 12 seconds of x-ray scanning. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport1177-13-08-2009.jpg
  • Lit by ambient light from airfield spotlights and with an American Airlines jet in the background, is one of three footing support struts belonging to Heathrow Airport's new control tower which is seen at night on the airfield's apron, the movement area where arriving and departing aircraft pass-by. The 285 feet (87 m) high tower is more than twice the height of the original, and was designed by Richard Rogers and constructed by Arup, costing £50m. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ..
    heathrow_airport1087-11-08-2009.jpg
  • A young African mother allows her sleeping baby some well-earned rest at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. In the departures concourse the mum and her child await their check-in zone to open in this international aviation hub in West London. The infant sleeps soundly, wrapped to its mother's back in the traditional manner for carrying children in the developing world. It is a simple scene of everyday care for one's child and airport operator spent £4.3 billion on Terminal 5 which has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport1068-11-08-2009.jpg
  • From a low angle, we see a greeting driver from Dover Heritage Taxis who awaits his passenger to arrive off a flight from Turkey. In the hectic international arrivals concourse of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5, the man holds up a name board to attract the attention of the man who is a member of a cruise ship's crew that is due to sail from the sea port of Dover. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport105-13-07-2009.jpg
  • Airline passengers recently arrived from India wait in line at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 transit concourse. The middle-aged travellers queue patiently after their long-haul flight and two believe that masks will protect themselves from airborne diseases and infections, not wishing to be exposed to Swine Flu or perhaps SARS, in a hectic public place where such bacteria can be transmitted from one human being to another. But a lady at the front of the queue has lowered her mask while the man at the back keeps his covering the mouth and nose. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport1015-11-08-2009.jpg
  • Drivers await their fares to arrive off a flight from Beijing. In the hectic international arrivals concourse of Heathrow's T5
    heathrow_airport407-13-07-2009.jpg
  • Writer Alain de Botton is interviewed by CNN, promoting his Heathrow Diary book at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5.
    heathrow_airport1499-19-08-2009.jpg
  • Heathrow writer-in-residence, Alain de Botton contemplates his airport novel near 747 in Departures at Heathrow Airport's T5
    heathrow_airport1128-12-08-2009.jpg
  • An exterior dusk view of the Heathrow terminal 5 hotel Sofitel showing wasteground still to be developed.
    heathrow_airport1256-15-08-2009.jpg
  • In an office stock room, an archivist in British Airways' Customer Experiences Divition shows some conceptual design ideas for future Business Class cabin layouts, seen at the airline's corporate headquarters at Waterside at Harmondsworth near Heathrow Airport. Having listened to their passengers' ideas for what they'd like to experience in their long-haul cabins, BA regularly come up with ways to make the flight for premium users a reason to become loyal fare-payers. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ..
    heathrow_airport1637-20-08-2009.jpg
  • An Islamic prayer mat has been left positioned into the corner of this seemingly ordinary room but which is a Multi-faith room for passengers seeking solace and tranquillity in an otherwise busy Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport. Airport operator BAA provide this sanctuary in various locations around the vast airport complex but this is the newest in Departures of T5. The rug has an image from Mecca and points Eastwards to the birthplace of Mohammed and the direction of the Hajj. On the wall is a poster offering welcome to other religions: To Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Jews, Humanists, Jains, Hindus and Rastafarians, to name a few. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ...
    heathrow_airport876-10-08-2009.jpg
  • Seen from the inside looking outwards, we see one of the giant 38 ton 'torso nodes' of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 roof structure. Developed by Arup to design the geometry of abutment steel, this engineering challenge needed to help support 50 ton rafters to made T5 the largest free-standing building in the UK. In the centre is the torso that sits on top of two feet with the wings splaying out to the window. The main architecture was created by the Richard Rogers Partnership (now Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners) and opened in 2008 after a cost of £4.3 billion. Terminal 5 has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport872-22-07-2009.jpg
  • Seen from the outside in early evening, the glass walls and glowing architecture of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5, the largest free-standing building in the UK. Created by the Richard Rogers Partnership (now Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners) and opened in 2008 after a cost of £4.3 billion, Terminal 5 has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ...
    heathrow_airport868-22-07-2009.jpg
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