AFTER more than four decades at Heathrow's Terminal 3, Air India has this week made the switch to the airport's newly refurbished Terminal 4.
To celebrate the move, Heathrow staff donned traditional Indian dress and greeted Air India customers with garlands and trays of luxury barfi sweets.
Staff members were even given lessons in welcoming passengers in Hindi to mark the first arrivals on Wednesday morning (May 25).
BAA chief executive Colin Matthews said: "I am delighted that Air India will be flying from the newly refurbished Terminal 4. It means easier journeys and a better airport experience for their passengers.
"Direct flights to India are very important for the UK, they create jobs and bring families together.
"That's why we are investing to modernise Heathrow and keep it Europe's number one airport for Indian flights."
Air India is one of T3's longest airline residents, starting its operation in the 1960s with Heathrow's first ever connection to Mumbai.
Since then the carrier has increased its route network, connecting London to some of India's most exciting cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Amritsar.
Today, Air India flies more than 390,700 passengers annually from Heathrow and Heathrow has more direct flights to India than any other airport in Europe.
Air India Chairman and MD Arvind Jadhav said: "We are moving to Terminal 4 in Heathrow after a half-century in our old home at Terminal 3, and we looked forward to BAA's support in making it a success in terms of enhanced convenience and comfort for our passengers."
The refurbishment of T4 involved an investment of £170 million and has been so successful that a recent passenger survey ranked it as Europe's most improved airport terminal.
