It was in 1946 that Heathrow came into existence as a civil airport, following its time as first, Fairey’s Great West Aerodrome in the 1930s, and then as RAF Heston during World War II. Whilst the first commercial flight to depart ‘London Airport’ was on 1st January 1946, the airport didn’t officially open until 31st May 1946, with passenger terminals made from ex-military marquees that formed a ‘tented village’ along the Bath Road.