Heathrow Airport's deserted Terminal 1 hasn't seen travellers in almost a decade - but what it's used for now is incredible

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Heathrow Airport sees tens of millions of passengers pass through every year, but most will have never stepped foot in its biggest terminal - which now resembles a ghost town following its closure almost ten years ago. 

The UK's busiest airport boasts five sprawling terminals to accommodate modern aircraft and a huge influx of passengers - yet one is totally vacant and only certain people are authorised to enter. 

Officially inaugurated by the Queen in 1969, Terminal 1 once stood as the largest airport terminal in Western Europe.

Although it still exists, the front runner of global aviation closed its doors to the public in 2015 as part of Heathrow's rapid expansion plans. 

The airport's newer terminals were better equipped to keep up with the pace of international travel, including the newly built Terminal 5, which saw a substantial increase of flights taking off and landing each day. 

Despite Heathrow installing a bigger departure lounge, increased seating areas and additional retail and dining space, technology ultimately outstripped Terminal 1's use.

By the time its final flight took off for Frankfurt, Germany, on 29 June, 2015, the terminal was only operating 20 flights each day to nine destinations through BA, as reported by MyLondon. 

After 46 years, T1 was shut, but its closure finally gave way for T2's expansion, a move that appeared more logical than updating and maintaining the outdated space. 

Officially inaugurated by the Queen in 1969, Heathrow's Terminal 1 once stood as the largest airport terminal in Western Europe

Although it still exists, the front runner of global aviation closed its doors to the public in 2015 as part of Heathrow's rapid expansion plans

By the time its final flight took off for Frankfurt, Germany, on 29 June, 2015, the terminal was only operating 20 flights each day to nine destinations through BA

Following the terminal's closure, it was decided it would be gradually demolished over a five to ten-year period.

Now, eerie photos show abandoned departure lounges, dated seats and dim corridors.

Retro retail signage, unplugged slot machines and rugged luggage carousels also appear in pictures showcasing the deserted space. 

In April 2018, the entire contents of Heathrow's old Terminal 1 went up for auction, including 110 check-in desks, security cameras, 4,000 rows of airport seating and the iconic 'Welcome To Heathrow' sign. 

Though T1 currently sits idle, it is still maintained to 'be kept fit for for purpose for safety and escape route reasons,' according to the airport. 

It's now used by various emergency services - such as armed police - for training drills, and, at any given time, up to 200 people utilise the space to run through scenarios. 

Earlier this year, Heathrow announced a multibillion-pound expansion plan as it prepares its proposals for a new runway.

In a speech in February, the airport's chief executive Thomas Woldbye planned to unveil funding for upgrades and expansion.

Following the terminal's closure, it was decided it would be gradually demolished over a five to ten-year period

Now, eerie photos show abandoned departure lounges, dated seats and dim corridors

In April 2018, the entire contents of Heathrow's old Terminal 1 went up for auction , including 110 check-in desks, security cameras and 4,000 rows of airport seating

The plans include boosting the capacity of Terminals 2 and 5, reconfiguring the layout of the airfield, and upgrading bus and coach connections.

It comes after Heathrow was named the airport where you're most likely to lose your luggage.

AirAdvisor studied 53 airports around the world, looking at the number of annual passengers to the airport, the average distance from the gate (in minutes), Google searches for ‘lost luggage’, poor Yelp reviews and the Google rating for the airports.

Heathrow had 14,840 more Google searches on the subject than Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport, which had the second most in the survey.