Birmingham Airport marks 200 days to go to London Olympics

To celebrate today’s 200 Days To Go to the London 2012 Olympic Games, LOCOG has announced that Birmingham Airport will host a London 2012 ‘welcome spectacular’ to give athletes and fans flying into the region a special Midlands welcome.

On approach to the airport, passengers will see the five giant Olympic Rings on the airport’s new air traffic control tower, which can also be seen from the main road into Birmingham. The airport will also feature the London 2012 pictograms along the taxiway, and will use London 2012 branding to cover Diamond House opposite the terminal.

Sebastian Coe, LOCOG Chair, said: “The Olympic Rings are an iconic symbol, inspiring athletes and uniting people around the world. To athletes they represent the culmination of thousands of hours of training and reaching the highest level in sport. To visitors travelling from around the world and arriving in Birmingham they will excite and inspire them about the Olympic Games taking place in the UK.”

Paul Kehoe, Birmingham Airport’s CEO said: “Birmingham is the UK’s second city, in the centre of country, and is just over an hour from London. With both the American and Jamaican track and field teams training in Birmingham prior to the games, plus the City of Coventry Stadium hosting a number of football games, the region will play a major part in this amazing occasion.”

The Olympic Rings are one of the world’s most recognisable symbols. The five Rings – coloured blue, yellow, black, green and red – express the activity of the Olympic Movement and represent the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games.

In addition to the plans for the giant Olympic Rings, the airport will also feature further bespoke items to dress the site and give a high-impact welcome for the Games. The airport plans to have the Olympic Rings in place by the 26th March to coincide with the completion of the first phase of the new air traffic control tower build.

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