The first flight has landed at Heathrow’s newly opened Terminal 2, known as the Queen’s Terminal, replacing the first permanent passenger building at the airport which was opened in 1955.

It is hoped that the opening will be less fraught than the opening of Terminal 5 in 2008 which was beset by problems such as a broken down baggage system, computer system errors and staff even getting lost in the building.

Heathrow’s owner has said that flights to and from the terminal will be introduced gradually in order to avoid similar problems.

Heathrow development director John Holland-Kaye said: “T2 is the culmination of an £11bn investment programme that has transformed Heathrow for passengers. Opening a new terminal is one of the most complex challenges that any airport can undertake.

“Our measure of success is not everything running perfectly on day one; there will inevitably be things we can improve. Our real measure of success is whether T2 comes to be rated by passengers as one of the world's best airport terminals for years to come.”