The Queen has opened the fifth terminal at London’s Heathrow Airport.

The official opening of the £4.3bn T5 terminal, which was designed by Richard Rogers Partnership, comes both on time and on budget.

However, passengers will not be able to benefit from the new facility until 27 March, when the terminal opens fully to travellers.

The site – the UK’s biggest free standing building – has undergone an intensive six-month period of proving trials which began in September.

The new terminal has its own dedicated railway station with six platforms, two for the Heathrow Express, two for London Underground's Piccadilly Line and two which are built and safeguarded in advance of a scheme to link Heathrow by rail to the West.

Leisure facilities at T5 include the world’s first Michelin-starred airport restaurant, operated by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, three Elemis Travel Spas and a brand new dining concept called Huxleys Bar & Kitchen, operated by Tragus.