Immigration to Clear Horses' Grooms to Royalty
Media Release - DPS 18/2000
Almost three times the usual number of immigration officers at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport will clear departing Olympic Family members ranging from horses' grooms to members of royalty tomorrow (Monday, October 1).
Immigration has doubled its normal shift numbers throughout the Olympic period. Tomorrow an extra 10 staff will be on standby for quick relocation wherever they are needed.
Immigration's day will start before 5am with clearances for grooms tending horses on a Lufthansa flight due to depart exactly as the curfew lifts at 6am.
Later, Australia's Immigration Department will provide departure clearances for members of the royal families of The Netherlands, Sweden and Jordan, as well as top IOC officials, including president Juan Antonio Samaranch.
More than 8,000 athletes, coaches, officials and media representatives are expected to depart Monday among a total of 28,000 international departures and 16,000 arrivals.
It is expected to be the busiest day in the airport's history, with about 97 international aircraft arriving and 101 departing.
"We're working on making the last impression as good as the first," Immigration's Manager Airports and Borders, Mary-Jane Jones, said.
"Our Olympic Family visitors' first impressions were great - they were processed in to Australia with the maximum of speed and the minimum of fuss.
"We're planning to make their departures equally as smooth," she said.
While mounting a massive outwards operation, Immigration staff will also be carefully processing and checking all arriving passengers.
For further information: 0419 44 2000