A holding pattern for passengers

It is not unusual for airport terminals to open amid chaotic scenes. Their gleaming edifices may be the result of years of planning, they may cost billions of dollars and the staff may have undergone months of training but one vital component is always missing before opening day: the travelling public.

Modern terminals are complex buildings where any number of things can and often do go wrong. Add to that mixture thousands of first-time passengers and the potential for something to go wrong is enormous.

Heathrow's new Terminal 5 is a case in point after it descended into chaos on its opening day when the baggage system collapsed. Thousands of passengers had their travel plans disrupted and British Airways was forced to cancel at least 34 flights. Frustrating? Yes, but not surprising.

A decade ago Hong Kong opened its new airport to mark its handover to China but the first weeks were marred by a number of glitches. Within days, though, it was up and running, functioning as one of the best airports in the world. Without doubt, Heathrow will quickly overcome the teething problems of its new terminal. Airports, after all, know how to handle delays caused by turbulence.