Jessica Ennis welcomes travellers into Heathrow

British Airways has created a giant painting of Jessica Ennis on the flight path into Heathrow Airport, to welcome in travellers during the 2012 Olympics Games.

The image of the British World Champion heptathlete, which is bigger than 15 tennis courts and 193 London buses, is accompanied by the words 'Welcome to our turf' and can be seen by planes flying into London.

Over 600 litres of red, white and blue weatherproof paint went into the design, which took two days for painters to complete.

Jessica Ennis commented: “I’m thrilled to be the first face that people will see arriving into the UK for the London 2012 Games. I hope it brings excitement to homecoming Brits, and reminds international athletes that we’re ready and prepared! We have the most dedicated fans in the world, who will get behind us every step of the way to give us a home advantage.”

Kate Johnson, Former American Olympic rower, added: “As an athlete at the Athens Games in 2004, one of my strongest memories was seeing the city for the first time as we flew in, because that’s when the reality kicked in. It’s an exciting and anxious moment for athletes, and I expect they will be amused and perhaps a little unsettled to see such a bold message as they arrive to the UK.”

British Airways is the official airline partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

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