Original terminal The first building to be known as Terminal 2 was Heathrow's oldest terminal. It was designed by Frederick Gibberd and opened as the Europa Building in 1955.

In 2026, Terminal 3 is technically the oldest "active" passenger building at London Heathrow (LHR), having originally opened in 1961 as the "Oceanic Terminal." It was designed specifically to handle long-haul departures for the newly introduced jet age. However, the history of Heathrow's terminals is complex; the original Terminal 1 opened in 1968 but was permanently closed in 2015 to make room for the expansion of the newer Terminal 2. Terminal 2, while originally opened in 1955 as the "Europa Building," was completely demolished and rebuilt, with the current "Queen's Terminal" version opening in 2014, making the name old but the building very new. Terminal 3 has undergone numerous refurbishments and "pier" additions over the decades to maintain modern standards, but its core structural identity remains the most veteran on the airport site. Today, it primarily serves as a hub for Virgin Atlantic and various Oneworld alliance members like Qantas and American Airlines. For a traveler, Terminal 3 offers a mix of retro-industrial architecture and world-class modern lounges, representing a bridge between Heathrow's mid-century beginnings and its current status as a global aviation powerhouse.