BA pioneer to land first T5 plane

Capt Barton had her first flying lesson at the age of 16

British Airways' first female pilot has been selected to fly the first plane to land at Heathrow's new Terminal 5.

Capt Lynn Barton, 51, became BA's first woman pilot in 1987. She will be the flight commander on BA026 from Hong Kong, landing at 0450 GMT on Thursday.

"I was incredibly proud to have been British Airways' first ever woman pilot and now I have another first to my name," Capt Barton said.

The £4.3bn terminal offers extra passenger capacity.

It will not mean extra flights.

'Mark the occasion'

BA now has 175 female pilots. Capt Barton, who lives near Alton in Hampshire, became one of the airline's captains in 1996.

"I never thought of being anything other than a pilot when I was growing up," said Capt Barton, who had her first flying lesson at the age of 16.

"I'm already planning my passenger announcement for the first ever landing at T5," she added.

"I want to make sure that I mark the occasion so that every one of my passengers can be part of history too."

The Queen officially opened the terminal on 14 March, describing it as "a 21st Century gateway to Britain".

Operator BAA said it would put Heathrow at "the leading edge of global travel" but environmental groups say it will lead to more flights and pollution.