Fire London Heathrow Airport Disrupts Flights
The incident has caused significant disruption to flights worldwide, with at least 120 inbound flights diverted to other airports, and over 1,300 flights to and from Heathrow expected to be affected. Airlines are expected to face significant disruption over the coming days, and travel experts predict a challenging recovery process.
Heathrow Airport, Europe's busiest and the world's fifth-busiest, has been shut down due to an "unprecedented" fire at a nearby substation, causing thousands of flight cancellations and power cuts, with counter-terrorism police leading the investigation.
The fire, which broke out at a nearby electrical substation, caused a power outage at the airport, resulting in the cancellation of over 1,350 flights and affecting multiple airlines. British Airways CEO Sean Doyle warned of a "huge impact" for "many days to come," with 51% of flights affected, leaving passengers stranded worldwide and facing expensive hotel bills and limited insulin for diabetic travelers.
The investigation, led by counter-terrorism police, has found no evidence of foul play, and the Met Police has stated that there is no evidence of a terrorist link. Nearby residents were evacuated, and hotels and pubs near the airport are packed with stranded passengers. The disruption is expected to last for days, with travel experts predicting chaotic days ahead as airlines reconfigure their networks to move planes and crews around.
The UK government has called for questions to be answered about the incident, while a Putin ally suggested the UK would blame Russia. Power has been restored to Terminal 4, and Eurostar is operating extra services to help stranded passengers. Ryanair's rescue flights are being criticized for high costs, with prices ranging from £82.47 to £268.72.
Heathrow Airport remains closed until at least 23:59 GMT today, and the airport's backup systems are not enough to run the whole airport. The cause of the fire is still unknown, and it is unclear when power will be fully restored, leaving thousands of passengers in uncertainty.