Terminal will handle departures for over 10,000 people after the Games

A temporary terminal will be built at Heathrow airport to handle the huge number of athletes and visitors leaving London after the Olympic Games, under plans published by the airport’s operator BAA.

The Games Terminal will be the departure point for over 10,000 athletes and visitors and handle 37,900 bags. It is being built to help the airport cope with what is expected to be the busiest day in its history, 13 August, the day after the Games’ closing ceremony.

The airport is also expecting a 45% increase in arriving passengers on 26 July, the day before the Games start.

Nick Cole, head of Olympic and Paralympic planning at Heathrow, said: “The London 2012 Games will be a unique operational task and a massive challenge for Heathrow. The airport is one of the most popular international airports in the world and already operates close to capacity.”