For years we have heard the mantra "Terminal 5 on time and on budget". Today this has been substituted by "Terminal 5 in chaos". And the reason for this turnabout - the old chestnut of baggage going missing.
But how can this happen after four billion pounds has been spent on a world class construction, feted by the airline industry and opened by the queen only last week?
The answer, according to BAA, is that passengers have been bringing luggage with them and then not following it to its destination.
"Passengers seemed to think that they could just turn up, check in their bags and it would be waiting for them the other end with no extra effort from them," a spokesperson for the airport said. "If they want to arrive somewhere with this luggage they insist on bringing, they need to follow it. We can't be expected to look after all of their stuff - I mean come on they're adults. Apart from the children that is - but they shouldn't have bags"
The spokesperson continued: "We have built a beautiful building in which passengers can wait and spend a fortune in our shops. The idea that we could improve the whole luggage issue was madness. I mean, this is Heathrow - no amount of glass and steel is going to change that."
