Heathrow Airport Delays Set to Continue for Days: Impact on Travel Industry
Heathrow Airport is currently closed due to a fire at a nearby electrical substation that supplies it with power.
Travel industry experts have warned that the impact of the Heathrow shutdown will not be quickly resolved and will affect all travel for the next few days.
The UK’s major transport hub was forced to shut down for the entire day on Friday after a fire at a nearby electrical substation caused a major power outage across west London.
The incident occurred late Thursday night at the North Hyde substation on Nestles Avenue in Hayes, where a transformer caught fire, leading to widespread disruption.
Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership, stated that such an incident at one of the world’s busiest airports will have a significant impact on all travel for the next few days.
She added that Friday is usually a busy day for travel, with people returning from business trips or heading for weekend breaks.
Aviation consultant John Strickland said it would take several days and cost millions of pounds for Heathrow to recover from a full-day closure. He described the situation as a massive dislocation akin to past aviation disruptions.
In a statement, London Mayor Sadiq Khan mentioned that electricity suppliers are working hard to restore power, and he thanked the emergency services for their efforts against the fire.
Scale of the Disruption
Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters worked overnight to tackle the flames. A 200-meter safety cordon was established, and about 150 people were evacuated from nearby homes.
London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne described the fire as a visible and significant incident, with crews working in challenging conditions to bring it under control.
Power to over 100,000 homes was lost during the outage, but the number was reduced to around 4,000 by morning.
Heathrow announced that it would remain closed until March 21 at 23:59, impacting over 1,350 flights and more than 200,000 passengers.
Knock-on Effects
The closure at Heathrow had ripple effects throughout the UK and Europe, with other airports diverting flights and adjusting operations to accommodate stranded passengers.
British Airways, the largest carrier at Heathrow, mentioned that the outage would significantly impact its operations and advised against travel to the airport.
Heathrow’s Key Role
Heathrow is the UK’s largest airport, handling millions of passengers and thousands of flights daily. Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the fire.
Travellers with future flights are advised to stay updated on airline communications and online updates before making any travel plans.
PA Media contributed to this report.
