British Airways Brings the Last Team GB Athletes Home
August 10, 2021.
Aviation News/Kevan James
Over the last two weeks British Airways has proudly been flying Team GB home from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, with the final flight carrying Olympians landing yesterday afternoon, Monday 9 August.
The airline has welcomed competitors across a wide range of sports back to the United Kingdom after an incredible Tokyo Games, with Team GB matching their overall medal haul of 65 from London 2012, when they competed on home turf. This morning British Airways has announced that to celebrate the team’s success, it will be giving all medal winners an executive card status to match the medal that they won in the Games.
On board the final flight back to the UK were eight gold, nine silver and three bronze medals, weighing a combined weight of 10.298 kilograms. The remaining athletes flying home with British Airways are from the boxing, track cycling, modern pentathlon and the athletic teams.
Among the incredible team members on the flight were Laura Kenny, Team GB’s most successful female athlete who carried the Union flag in Sunday’s Closing Ceremony and her husband, Jason Kenny, the most successful British Olympian after he won his seventh Olympic gold medal in the men’s keirin.
After landing, the athletes were led through by British Airways’ staff to the arrivals hall in Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport to reunite with friends and family after spending so long apart.
Tom Stevens, British Airways’ Director of Brand and Customer Experience, said: “We are so proud to be the airline partner for Team GB and we are in awe of the team’s achievements in this year’s Olympic games. The event has brought the nation together, and watching our athletes compete in challenging circumstances, after a year of uncertainty is something to be admired and will inspire many people. From all of us at British Airways, we want to congratulate Team GB on their incredible success and look forward to seeing the final athletes reunited with their loved ones.”
Andy Anson, CEO of Team GB, said: "We could not have asked for a better partner than British Airways to fly us to and from Tokyo 2020. Quite simply we could not have achieved the results we have without them - from keeping 1,000 people safe and free of Covid, to the team getting 65 medals in Tokyo.
"No industry has suffered more than the airline industry, but British Airways has gone over and above to support Team GB in every possible way. With athletes and staff coming home every single day, the flexibility they have shown to accommodate last minute changes has been incredible."
British Airways is also the proud airline partner of ParalympicsGB and will be carrying the athletes to and from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games which starts on Tuesday 24 August.
British Airways has a long-standing history in supporting national sporting events and teams. The airline has been the proud airline partner to Team GB and Paralympics GB since 2008 and is currently the Principal Partner to Twickenham Stadium, Official Airline Partner to England Rugby. The airline is also flying the British & Irish Lions home after their final match in their recent tour of South Africa.
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