London Heathrow Airport has unveiled a huge Union Jack flag on the airport runway, with an image of Her Majesty the Queen, in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of the Queen’s accession to the throne.
The flag, which covers an area of over 540 square metres, is intended to welcome passengers to the UK and to help generate a spirit of celebration.
The 30 metre long flag is made of around 400 litres of red, white and blue paint, and is painted next to the Northern runway, so that it will be visible to passengers as their aircraft are arriving.
The queen is one of the most travelled heads of state in the world, having completed 261 official overseas visits and 96 state visits to 116 countries. The airport image celebrates the airport’s association with the Queen’s travels in her 60 years of reign.
John Holland-Kaye, the commercial director at Heathrow Airport, said, ‘The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations mark the start of an important and historic summer for Heathrow. As the UK’s hub Airport, we are delighted to welcome thousands of visitors to Heathrow to celebrate this momentous national occasion.’
The airport is presently gearing up to receive around 2.9 million passengers in the next two weeks, with 780,000 passengers scheduled to arrive between May 30, and June 6, 2012. All passengers will be treated regally with a red carpet welcome at the airport during this period, and will be offered official Diamond Jubilee and Union Jack flags to celebrate the occasion.
