Construction on the £1.5 billion Heathrow East project could be subject to a 12-month delay, according to reports.

Trade magazine Contract Journal reports that Heathrow operator BAA has briefed contractors on the project about possible hold-ups to the construction of the new £1.5 billion terminal building.

The magazine quotes one un-named contractor as saying: "We were all geared up to start this year, but we have now been told that work won't start until 2009".

According to the source, BAA has blamed the delay on the knock-on effect presented by the chaotic opening of Terminal 5.

The problems with T5's baggage system has resulted in the centralisation of British Airways flights to T5 being delayed. This has led to the programme to re-organise airlines' flights at Heathrow according to airline alliance also being pushed back.

In turn, the source says, BAA have consequently had to delay Heathrow East.

Heathrow East 'Open For Olympic Games'

Heathrow East is the next major development at Heathrow.

The terminal is set to replace Terminals 1 and 2. It was planned to the new terminal for the London 2012 Olympic Games - however, this is not now achievable.

A BAA spokesman admitted that "elements of the programme are delayed".

However, the company denied the Heathrow East programme was completely off-track.

The spokesman continued: "The Heathrow East programme is not sequential so not everything is grinding to a halt... The production design management is still continuing, and we have been able to work intensively on other parts of the scheme".

He added: "We are very experienced in making up delays. Demolition is due to start next year...[and] the aim is still to have at least part of the new terminal open by 2012".

Heathrow Midfield Pier Development

It has been reported that the schedule of work Heathrow East project have been "repackaged" to allow this to occur.

Building magazine, another trade journal, reports that the "midfield pier" development - a freestanding building on the airport's Eastern Campus - could be built first, before the main East terminal.

The magazine says BAA has given the go-ahead for Balfour Beatty to start work early on its £350 million contract to build the midfield pier.

This appears to fit in with the BAA spokesman's statement.

The main contractor on the build is BAA's parent company, the Spanish construction giant Ferrovial, alongside Laing O'Rourke.

Source - Airport International's London Reporter

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