England - London - Family welcome home balloon at Heathrow Airport

A helium-filled Welcome Home balloon floats in the air in Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 arrivals hall. 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. Floating upwards, the balloon is brightly coloured 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_airport50-13-07-2009_1.jpg
Copyright: Richard Baker
Image Size: 4096x2730 / 712.6KB; 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 balloon inflatable helium floating kitsch return homeward journey destination tourism travelling travel eager happiness positive mass-tourism landside air travel international schedule scheduled people LHR reunited
Contained in galleries: Richard Baker - All pics

A helium-filled Welcome Home balloon floats in the air in Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 arrivals hall. 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. Floating upwards, the balloon is brightly coloured 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).