Waterloo Air Terminal

This is a J. Arthur Dixon Ltd postcard showing a Westland-Sikorsky S55 Helicopter taking off from the Waterloo or South Bank Air Terminal with Hungerford Bridge and the Festival Hall in the background. The Terminal was opened by Mr. Alan Lennox-Boyd the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation on 21st May 1953 and it utilised the site previously occupied by the Festival of Britain on the South Bank. The Terminal building was in York Road and was previously the entrance to the Festival of Britain (see below). The Terminal handled BEA passengers and other airlines' passengers affiliated with BEA. Passengers were processed and transported to Heathrow and Northolt (until late 1954) by coach for their flights. On 25th July 1955 BEA inaugurated helicopter transfers to Heathrow from the Terminal, the helipad was the foundation circle of the Dome of Discovery. The service only lasted for ten months or so, it was very expensive but carried over 3800 persons during that time.

The Terminal closed in 1957 and moved to the purpose built West London Air Terminal.

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