Fast-track Olympic scheme could cause airport delays
A new scheme to fast-track Olympic athletes, coaches and officials through Heathrow for London 2012 could mean delays for other fliers.
With immigration staff transferred from their normal duties, Border Agency policy documents warn the process could cause huge delays, reports the Daily Mail.
But a spokesman for the airport, which is an official Olympics sponsor, insisted it would cope with the massive influx.
Up to 80 per cent of foreign Olympics visitors will go through Heathrow – including athletes, kit, officials, sponsors, media and spectators.
Those who have not registered in advance will have their fingerprints and photographs checked against lists of potential terrorists and criminals.
The day after the closing ceremony – August 13 – is expected to be Heathrow’s busiest ever day.
About 218,000 bags should leave the airport, compared with a previous record of 160,000.
A Heathrow spokesman said: ‘Around 15 per cent of the bags will be outsize sporting equipment such as canoes, vaulting poles or bikes, which cannot be processed through normal baggage systems.
‘Options being considered to manage the extra demand include baggage drop facilities at the Olympic village, shipping some baggage as freight, and construction of a temporary “Olympic terminal” which would be taken down after the Games.’
Diane
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments
AirlineRatings reveals world's safest airline rankings for 2026
Vietnam warns airlines of possible flight reductions amid jet fuel shortages
Fliggy opens AI-powered travel bookings and developer tools