London’s Heathrow Airport was closed for all Friday, closing one of the busiest airports in the world, causing travel disruptions around the world after losing power due to a nearby fire.
Closures disrupt important travel hubs in the UK, Europe and the world. Every day, an average of over 220,000 passengers traveled the airport last year on flights offered by 90 airlines to more than 180 destinations around the world.
On Friday morning, the plane was scheduled to arrive from Vietnam, India and Brunei from afar, with passengers expecting to take off for destinations like Tokyo, New York and Riyadh.
Heathrow advised passengers not to travel to the airport as it will close until at least 11:59pm local time.
Here’s what we know about Heathrow’s closure:
The problem began with a nearby fire.
Heathrow said he was hit by a blackout caused by a fire at an electrical substation that was supplied to the airport early on Friday.
The London Firefighters said they called in to the fire late Thursday by firefighters in west London and deployed dozens of firefighters. Approximately 150 people have evacuated from the area.
The cause of the fire was unknown, the firefighters said.
The firefighters said nearby homes and businesses were also affected. About 16,000 customers were not supplying electricity early on Friday, according to the power networks of British energy companies Scotland and Southern.
Ripple effect is global.
According to Flightradar24, the flight tracking website, the closure of Heathrow will affect at least 1,351 flights inside and outside the airport. With the closure announced early Friday, there were 120 aircraft scheduled to arrive at Heathrow in the air.
Some people have been converted to alternative airports, including London Gatwick Airport, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Paris’ Charles Degaard Airport. According to Flightradar24. Others began to return to their origins.
The disruption caused by the fire was expected to spread Friday morning, said Pat Ghoulborn, a deputy fire service commissioner.
“We are hoping for significant disruption over the next few days, and passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens,” a Heathrow spokesman said in a statement.
UK laws protect many travelers facing confusion.
Airlines should take care of you if they are leaving the UK with their airline or arriving at European Union or British airlines. According to the UK Civil Aviation Authority, if your flight is cancelled, you must choose to arrange a refund or alternative trip on the earliest opportunity.
If you choose to travel at another time of year, you will need to provide a reasonable amount of food, drinks and accommodation if it is re-routed the next day and transported to and from the accommodation.
If your flight has been cancelled or repurposed, please check your airline’s policies.
