• airport hotels
• airport parking
• airport lounges
• holiday transfers
• car hire
• travel insurance
• theatre ticket

One of Scotland's richest men has launched a £70 million venture to build two new hotels at Heathrow Airport, reports claim.

Lord Laidlaw has formed a partnership with Rokeby Developments to build new hotels for the passengers that will use Heathrow's Terminal 5, according to Scotland on Sunday.

The new terminal, which cost over £4 billion and is one of Europe's largest construction projects, is expected to handle around 30 million passengers a year once it opens in March 2008.

Lord Laidlaw said: "There is currently an under-provision of new hotel beds ahead of the opening of Terminal 5.

"We think our site created by this new joint venture is an excellent location which has already attracted the attention of hotel operators."

Airports operator BAA describes Terminal 5 as "a new landmark for London" and claims that, without it, Heathrow would be in danger of losing its position as Europe's leading gateway.