Athletes have been returning home from Tokyo throughout the
past week with a total of 124 medals including 41 gold, 38 silver and 45 bronze
weighing a combined total of 63.946kg.
To celebrate the team’s success British Airways, will be
giving all medal winners an executive card status to match the medal that they
won in Tokyo.
The final flight home has athletes from the archery,
athletics, badminton, boccia, shooting, canoeing and the men’s wheelchair
basketballteam.
The airline has worked tirelessly to ensure that it got the
team and all of their equipment to and from Tokyo safely, flying 468
passengers, 429 wheelchairs and mobility equipment, 209 bikes, 4381 bags and
sporting equipment, including 58 oversized items.
Mike Sharrock, Chief Executive of ParalympicsGB, said “I
would like to thank British Airways for taking such great care of our athletes
and support staff as they travelled to and from Tokyo 2020 during the most
complex Games ParalympicsGB have ever been involved in. Our talented athletes
have produced countless incredible performance to inspire and unite the nation
and we couldn’t be prouder to be returning to the UK having achieved what we
set out to do.”
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 also flew the British & Irish Lions home after competing int heir
recent tour of South Africa.