Brussels – Heathrow Airport, Europe’s busiest, will remain closed all day Friday (March 21) due to a “significant” power outage related to a fire overnight at an electrical substation supplying it. Authorities at the London airport warned that disruptions will continue in the coming days. Passengers are asked not to travel “under any circumstances” to the airport until its reopening at 11:59 pm this evening, 00:59 am in Italy.
At least 1351 flights were canceled, according to the tracking service Flightradar24: “That doesn’t include any flights that might be canceled or delayed due to aircraft being out of position.” Flag carrier British Airways has made itself available to passengers for clarification and refunds. “The fire will significantly impact our operations and customers, and we are working as quickly as possible to update them on travel options for the next 24 hours and beyond,” it said. When Heathrow announced its closing, 120 airliners were bound for the London airport. At the same time, a Heathrow spokesman said seven United Airlines flights had to return to their airports of departure.
Six transatlantic flights from Toronto, Atlanta, Bridgetown, Barbados, Boston, Orlando, and Newark bound for the London airport were diverted to Ireland, landing at Shannon Airport.
The North Hyde substation fire left more than 5,000 homes in Hillingdon, west London, without power and required the intervention of 70 firefighters. The London Fire Brigade confirmed that the fire was “now under control,” adding that “emergency services will remain in place throughout the day.” “Our investigators are working closely with the Metropolitan Police Service searching for the cause of the fire, and we will continue to work with our partners to minimize disruption and support the community,” the fire brigade announced on their official website.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
