UNITED KINGDOM: OLYMPICS - Heathrow airport expects to set a new record for passenger numbers as it welcomes athletes to the London 2012 Games
Record ID:
330883
UNITED KINGDOM: OLYMPICS - Heathrow airport expects to set a new record for passenger numbers as it welcomes athletes to the London 2012 Games
- Title: UNITED KINGDOM: OLYMPICS - Heathrow airport expects to set a new record for passenger numbers as it welcomes athletes to the London 2012 Games
- Date: 17th July 2012
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JULY 16, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR TERMINAL 4 BUILDING CLOSE OF SIGN DECLARING HEATHROW HOST AIRPORT FOR LONDON 2012 AIRPLANES ON TARMAC CLOSE OF TAIL FIN OF AIRPLANE INSIDE TERMINAL AND OLYMPIC RECEPTION DESK VOLUNTEERS WELCOMING EL SALVADOR DELEGATION / HOLDING SIGN SAYING "WELCOME" TWO FEMALE POLICE OFFICERS WITH MACHINE GUNS (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOM WILLIS, OPERATIONS MANAGER, TERMINAL 4, HEATHROW AIRPORT, SAYING: "We have a thousand volunteers from the local community that we've specifically recruited and trained to offer a welcome on behalf of London. So what an athlete would expect to see is as they come off their airplane they will get a welcome from a uniformed volunteer with a big smile saying 'Welcome to London and good luck with the Games' ARRIVALS CORRIDOR AND PEOPLE ARRIVING MEMBERS OF TEAM USA YACHTING TEAM ARRIVING TWO MEMBERS OF USA TEAM SHAKING HANDS AND HUGGING OTHER USA TEAM MEMBERS SHAKING HANDS MORE OF USA TEAMS ARRIVING AND HIGH FIVING EACH OTHER (SOUNDBITE) (English) STEVE BRENNAN, TEAM USA MEMBER, SAYING: "It's been great, London is obviously ready and excited and Weymouth is a fantastic host city, we are very excited to be in Weymouth, we have spent a lot of time there, and it's going to be fantastic. We are ready to go." MEMBERS OF USA TEAM DRINKING COFFEE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANNA TUNNICLIFFE, TEAM USA MEMBER, SAYING: "We have been prepared, we have sailed here a lot. We know our conditions, we know what to expect in Weymouth, but it's good to have another couple of weeks just to get back into it and make any last minute little adjustments that we need. But we are ready, we are ready for the Games to start." CLOSE UP OF BOX OF SAILS ON OLYMPICS TROLLY LUGGAGE TROLLEY BEING UNLOADED CLOSE OF "USA" ON A BAG ATHLETE PUSHING TROLLEY WITH EQUIPMENT
- Embargoed: 1st August 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: United Kingdom
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: International Relations,Sports,Travel / Tourism
- Reuters ID: LVA5980O0XWO9ZQUQXZ35M5WJBQ2
- Story Text: Athletes and Olympic officials began arriving at Heathrow airport on Monday (July 16) ahead of the London 2012 Games.
The airport is gearing up to process more arriving and departing passengers in a single day than it ever has before.
Some 236,955 passengers are expected to travel through the airport on Monday, breaking the previous record of 233,562 set on 31 July, 2011. Normally the airport would expect 190,000 passengers at this time of year.
Throughout the day, Olympians will arrive from more than 50 countries.
335 athletes are expected on Monday as part of 1,027 Games Family arrivals.
Extra staff and volunteers who speak 20 languages between them have been drafted in to cope with the influx.
"We have at thousand volunteers from the lcoal community we specifically recruited and trained to offer a welcome on behalf of London," said Tom Willis, Operations Manager of Terminal 4 at Heathrow.
"What an athlete would expect to see is as they come off their airplane they will get a welcome from a uniformed volunteer with a big smile saying 'Welcome to London and good luck with the Games'," he added.
UK Border Force, which runs immigration desks, is now in full Olympics mode. The government had to hire extra workers to man the desks after lengthly delays at immigration a few months ago.
Some 16,000 athletes are due to descend on London in the coming days.
Around 90 percent are expected to arrive at Heathrow.
Team USA sailors were among the first athletes through the Arrivals at Terminal 4. They were excited to be in Britain and to be heading to the south coast town of Weymouth, where sailing events are being held.
"We have been prepared, we have sailed here a lot. We know what to expect in Weymouth, good to have another couple of weeks just to get back into it and make any last minute little adjustments that we need. But we are ready for the Games to start," said Anna Tunnicliffe, Team USA sailor.
The first of the Games Lanes - roads restricted for use by the Olympic family and athletes only - came into effect on Monday on a section of motorway near Heathrow.
Drivers face fines of 130 pounds if they use the Games Lanes whilst restrictions are in place.
On July 25 the entire 30 miles of the Olympic Route Network will come into effect.
Drivers in central London fear the knock-on effect will cause gridlock outside of the Games Lanes. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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