Heathrow terminals to play new track created entirely from airport sounds

Passengers preparing to fly from Heathrow this summer can listen to a new piece of music created entirely using sounds of the airport.

Musician and producer Jordan Rakei recorded more than 50 sounds such as travellers’ footsteps, passports being stamped, public address announcements and the hum of aircraft engines before take-off.

It is a tribute to Brian Eno’s 1979 album Music For Airports, which is credited with launching the ambient music genre.

Jordan Rakei recorded the sound of an aircraft engine (Matt Crossick Media Assignments/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Matt Crossick Media Assignments

The track – which is designed to loop – is being played inside Heathrow’s four terminals and is available to download.

Rakei, a Grammy award nominee, said: “Having travelled all over the world for my music and spent a huge amount of time in airports, I’ve always loved that buzz that comes with the excitement and anticipation of travel.

“So, getting the chance to turn Heathrow’s many sounds into music was an honour.

“I spent time in every part of the airport, recording so many sounds from baggage belts to boarding calls, and used them to create something that reflects that whole pre-flight vibe.

“It’s all about building suspense and setting the mood for wherever you’re headed on your summer holiday.”

Heathrow expects this summer will be its busiest on record, with a quarter of a million passengers boarding outbound flights each day.

The airport’s director of services, Lee Boyle, said: “Nothing compares to the excitement of stepping foot in the airport for the start of a summer holiday, and this new soundtrack perfectly captures those feelings.

“We’re excited to have Jordan on board to create this one-of-a-kind soundtrack, sampling so many real life sounds from everything that passengers experience during their time at Heathrow.

“As the best-connected airport in the world, Heathrow is where countless summer holidays begin, and we hope tuning in will be the perfect start to our passengers’ well-deserved summer breaks.”