London Heathrow Airport has opened its temporary terminal to cope with the surge in passengers anticipated after the closing ceremony for the Olympic Games. The temporary structure, which will cater for athletes and 2012 officials, will be used for the three days after the closing ceremony on 12th August. It will have 31 check-in desks and seven security lanes to handle more than 10,000 athletes and 37,000 bags.
Nick Cole, head of Olympic operations at Heathrow, said: “The terminal has taken five months to build but has been planned for over two years. It will help to ensure that passengers using Terminals One, Three, Four and Five get their normal high levels of service. On 13th August we anticipate to have our busiest day ever for departing passengers. If we get 10,000 athletes through this facility it means that everybody else in the other terminals will feel just like it’s a busy summer day here at Heathrow.”
