Today’s travel briefing highlights one of the most anticipated launches – the unveiling of Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport. Last Tuesday British Airways showed off their modern facility with no details spared. The high-tech terminal is more than arrivals, departures and those beeping passenger cars. After taking seven years to construct, at a price of $8.4 billion, BA presents a terminal that appears to meet high expectations.

From Driverless Chauffeurs to 112 stores and restaurants, BA hopes it will redefine modern airport architecture and design. Even more importantly, BA believes Term 5 will positively impact their competitiveness as an airline carrier and rebrand Heathrow as an efficient and pleasurable airport.

Today’s Travel Headlines:

British Airways Unveils New Terminal at Heathrow

“British Airways showed off its new terminal at Heathrow Airport on Tuesday, a light-flooded, gleaming white modern facility with some of the latest technology, a first-class lounge with a cinema and a five-story-high wall of windows offering a view of Windsor Castle.”

A Relaxing Wait at Singapore’s Changi Airport

“Passengers at Singapore’s Changi Airport now have many more dining and shopping options (think Hard Rock Cafe and an Apple concept store) as well as an indoor garden with waterfalls since the opening of the 4-million-square-foot Terminal 3 on Jan. 9. The $1.22-billion terminal can handle up to 22 million passengers a year, increasing Changi’s capacity to 70 million.”

Heathrow crash plane ‘just dropped’

“Witnesses have described how the pilot of a British Airways passenger jet that crash landed at London’s Heathrow Airport on Thursday appeared to be struggling to bring the plane down safely as it came in low over surrounding houses.”

Boeing delays delivery of dreamliner jet to 2009

“Boeing Co., citing unresolved production problems, said Wednesday it will not be able to deliver its first 787 Dreamliner passenger jet until early 2009—more than nine months later than it had promised airlines.”

Virgin Atlantic to Fly Biofuel 747

“Richard Branson talks a lot about going green and has even put up a prize for anyone who can figure out how to strip CO2 outta the atmosphere. But he still oversees a huge fleet of fossil fuel-burning airplanes. So what’s he gonna do to quiet critics? Launch the world’s first biofueled 747.”