De Botton says BAA has given him complete editorial freedom and access to all areas as part of a one-book publishing deal. “One of the first things I said when they offered it to me was that I should be allowed to say what I want to say,” De Botton said. “If I see a cockroach coming out of the Carluccio’s here then I should be able to write about it. BAA used to be so guarded as an organisation, but they have thrown open their doors to me.”

The results of his week’s stint at Terminal Five will be published by Profile Books next month, with BAA distributing 10,000 copies free to passengers. The airport’s chief operating officer, Mike Brown, said: “Opening Heathrow to literary critique is a bold and adventurous step for us.”

A self-confessed transport obsessive, De Botton said he hoped to “lift the lid” on how an airport works. “I love transport, I love airplanes. It is the opposite of routine, even when it goes wrong,” he said. “There are not many industries where you find 20 people camped on your doorstep, like plane and trainspotters, to find out how it works. You will not find people doing that outside Tesco, saying ‘look at that chicken tikka arriving.’ People are fascinated by this and I share that fascination.”