Baku, July 1, AZERTAC

British Airways' flights from Baku in Azerbaijan now arrive into London Heathrow's award-winning Terminal 5 (T5), the home of British Airways. Starting yesterday (30 June 2015), passengers from Azerbaijan arrive into T5, which has been recognised as the world's best terminal for the fourth consecutive year in the Skytrax awards. A high-tech terminal that is capable of handling 30 million customers a year, T5 offers British Airways customers efficient and stress-free travelling.

Flights from Baku previously arrived into Terminal 1 (T1) at the UK's largest airport. Following the announcement in 2014, British Airways is consolidating all its flights into London Heathrow from three terminals into two terminals, Terminal 3 (T3) and T5 by the end of 2015.

Across the Middle East and Central Asia, flights from Amman in Jordan and Beirut in Lebanon have also transferred from T1 to T5.

"We welcome the move to T5 as our passengers from Azerbaijan will benefit from an enhanced travel experience and improved connectivity to our network of 188 destinations," said Paolo De Renzis, British Airways' Area Commercial Manager for the Middle East and Central Asia. "Our passengers are very discerning and appreciate making the most out of their time and money. T5 caters to the sophisticated traveller and offers better operational efficiency, pre-flight retail therapy from a range of high-end stores and access to our six state-of-the-art British Airways lounges."

As part of its ongoing £5 billion investment to make life more comfortable in the air and on ground, British Airways has invested in an extensive overhaul of its airport lounges. Currently there are six lounges within the terminal that were built were built at cost of £60 million: The Concorde Room, The First Class Lounge, three Club Lounges and an Arrivals Lounge. Collectively the lounges, known as 'Galleries', are capable of hosting up to 2,500 people and are situated within easy walking distance to T5's extensive retail and F&B offerings.

In January, British fashion icon Laura Bailey helped launch the renovated T5 following 18 months of development and more than £40 million investment.

De Renzis adds, "It is little wonder why passengers from all over the world regard T5 as a superior retail destination. Following its makeover, the terminal is now home to iconic brands such Fortnum & Mason, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Bottega Veneta, Burberry and Dior."

Normand Boivin, Chief Operating Officer at Heathrow said, "Heathrow Terminal 5 was recently awarded 'World's Best Airport Terminal' for a fourth year in a row at this year's World Airport Awards and we couldn't be prouder. With a brand new luxury retail development boasting 22 outlets from Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Rolex to our very own Personal Shopping service; a restaurant from a Michelin starred chef (Gordon Ramsey's Plane Food) and a British national treasure (Fortnum & Mason) to over 50 free beauty treatments available under one roof - Terminal 5 provides passengers with the perfect start to their trip and we're delighted to be welcoming new British Airways passengers previously flying through the recently closed Terminal 1."

Stepping away from the extensive selection of retail choices, First, Club World and Gold Executive Club members flying through T5 with British Airways can choose from a range of relaxing or reviving 15-minute spa treatments. The airline has partnered with leading skincare expert Elemis and offers select customers a spa treatment as part of their travel experience with the airline. There are two large Elemis Travel Spas situated in the southern Galleries lounges and the Galleries Arrivals lounge both offering six treatment rooms each and a slightly smaller version in the Galleries Club Lounge in the satellite building with four treatment rooms.

British Airways operates six flights a week from Azerbaijan to London Heathrow T5. A full timetable of British Airways' flights to London and beyond is available online at ba.com, where customers can find the lowest fares and book, pay and check-in online for their flights.