Don Langford, head of customer services Europe for American Airlines, gives his views on LHR and Terminal 3 (AA's Terminal) to the BBC.

"The airport - recently criticised for the chaos at the opening of Terminal 5 - was "trying to put 10 pounds of sugar in a five-pound bag," he told the BBC.

Mr Langford said in a File On 4 investigation into the first day chaos at Terminal 5, that Heathrow Airport, "is not just bursting at the seams. I think the seams have burst".

American Airlines claims to be the fourth largest carrier at Heathrow in terms of available seats and flies out of Terminal 3, which Mr Langford called "a bit of a dump".

He added: "It has suffered from lack of investment over a period of time. "If you look at the fabric of the building, if you look at where customers check in - missing light bulbs, duck tape on the floor. "I would have to say that Heathrow is in many ways the worst of all the airports that my company flies to in Europe.""

 More at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7367800.stm