Heathrow handles record numbers for Olympics

By The Associated Press
Monday, July 16, 2012

LONDON — Athletes, officials and media from all over the world poured into Heathrow Airport today for the London Olympics, the first wave of a record number of passengers expected to pass through Europe’s largest airport for the games that begin July 27.

Heathrow says athletes from 50 nations will touch down in what is being described as Britain’s biggest peacetime transport challenge. In all, the airport will handle some 236,955 passengers, breaking the previous daily record of 233,562 set in July 2011.

To cope with the deluge, Heathrow has enlisted some 1,000 volunteers to greet arrivals — 500 were working on Monday alone — and created special teams to deal with oversize items like Olympic javelins, bikes and other sports equipment. All wore bright pink to easily stand out.