Ultra wins £30m Heathrow contract

GREENFORD-based Ultra Electronics has won a seven-year contract from airports operator BAA to manage a £30m IT contract at Heathrow's new Terminal 5.

Ultra shares rose 15p to 420p as chief executive Julian Blogh announced that the group's airport IT business, Ferranti Air Systems, is to integrate the control and monitoring systems of the terminal building and airfield, including the design and co-ordination of the T5 operations control room.

T5, on hold since 1989, got the go-ahead at the end of last year and is due to open in 2007, adding another 30m to the 85m passengers that Heathrow can handle.

The new terminal should also be able to handle aircraft such as the Airbus A380 which have yet to come into service.