England - London - Sons greeted by family at Heathrow Airport

Mothers and sons hug emotionally in the international arrivals hall of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 airport. Three families have gathered to meet their respective sons who have been travelling around the world during their university gap year sabbatical trip of a lifetime. With balloons and banners amid the hectic concourse where other relatives greet their loved-ones after months away from home on their adventures. This is a tradition practised across the world's airports where families are separated by the need to travel or work in other countries and the emotion of meeting again after long absences is always hard. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).

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Filename: heathrow_airport83-13-07-2009_1.jpg
Copyright: Richard Baker
Image Size: 4096x2730 / 719.3KB; Heathrow airport GB British English Europe EU Great Britain England UK London aviation BAA terminal 5 five T5 arrivals welcome family welcome home greeting greet relatives meeting meet loved-ones son gap-year return homeward journey destination tourism travelling travel eager happiness positive hugging hugs hug emotional safe relief get-together final travellers mass-tourism vacation holiday tour tourist friends international love affection man male landside air travel contact tourists schedule scheduled people LHR reunited
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Mothers and sons hug emotionally in the international arrivals hall of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 airport. Three families have gathered to meet their respective sons who have been travelling around the world during their university gap year sabbatical trip of a lifetime. With balloons and banners amid the hectic concourse where other relatives greet their loved-ones after months away from home on their adventures. This is a tradition practised across the world's airports where families are separated by the need to travel or work in other countries and the emotion of meeting again after long absences is always hard. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).