Fascinating article on the forgotten West London Air Terminal

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

• Mike says:

  24 Sep24 September 08:02

  Even the buses to the airport were special.
  The iconic London Routemaster was modified into the RMA (the A is for airport) a shorter version with a faster engine and front doors and stairs.
  http://www.redroutemaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/RMA58-17044907290_f5e3702dd9_k1.jpg

  • Russell says:

    24 Sep24 September 10:49

    Having grown up near the Great West Road, we used to see the buses from the WLAT frequently. TBH I do not recal the RMA at all, but vividly remeber the earlier BEA buses which, for some reason, were one-and-a-half deckers – double deck at the rear, single deck at the front.

    • Keith says:

      26 Sep26 September 14:30

      I remember that some of the buses (BEA ones I think) towed a trailer containing the luggage. My grandfather was a bus driver, and I remember him explaining that the union were fighting for higher pay for towing the trailer – her was a real leftie!

• Steve says:

  24 Sep24 September 08:20

  Wow, fascinating, thank you. I use the David Lloyd centre in this building and always wondered about its past. Thanks.

• MikeB7499 says:

  24 Sep24 September 08:37

  My first job after leaving college in 1980 was working for BA at the West London Terminal. Apart from the passenger check-in / transfer facility, this was also BA’s UK base for flight telephone reservations (where I worked) booking of BA package holidays, trade sales (dealing with travel agents), and customer service (the department had the quaint name of ‘Correspondence’). The accommodation tower block you see today were all office space and the Sainsbury’s is where all the coaches would park. It was a fantastic place to work.

• James Alexander says:

  24 Sep24 September 09:29

  Fascinating article, thanks for posting the link. I worked in the D Lloyd gym in the first years of this millennium and was always fascinated by the “over-cladding” and ramps up from the Sainsbury ! At that time the apartments above had many American business people and their families – many moved out (recalled to USA?) after 9/11.
  So interesting to see how air travel impacted on so many areas of urban life.

• Lady London says:

  24 Sep24 September 10:04

  IIRC in its later years the West London Air Terminal, like the North London Air Terminal (?) on Finchley Road, was used heavily by charter airlines which grew from strength to strength on the new package holidays people took to places like Spain.

  Am I right in thinking what pretty much finished WLAT off was one of these operators, Clarksons, which went bust?

• TGLoyalty says:

  24 Sep24 September 10:07

  Explains why the bonus was so high on small amount I transferred a few days ago

  at 25% bonus could be worth doing some more into avois

• MrMagoo says:

  24 Sep24 September 11:40

  Brought back some really old memories. Was just reminiscing about it recently when we stayed nearby in London.
  It worked really well, plenty of pubs and restaurants nearby to eat before heading home.
  Thanks for this.

• Nick_C says:

  24 Sep24 September 12:29

  Remember checking in there with my parents in the 70s.

  Don’t remember the BEA buses at Gloucester Road Air Terminal, but as a child in Liverpool there were also special airport buses running to Speke. The upstairs area at the back was because downstairs at the back was the luggage compartment. I think these may have been the same design as the BEA buses.

  The Airlines used to have a high profile in Central London. AA also had check in facilities at Victoria on the Gatwick Express platform, and in the 70s all the airlines had ticket offices in Piccadilly and Regent Street. I remember buying my first solo ticket from TWA in Piccadilly.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.