LONDON (AP) — The first aircraft landed at Heathrow Airport late Friday, roughly 18 hours after a blaze erupted at an electrical substation, resulting in a power outage that paralyzed Europe’s busiest airport.
The British Airways flight arrived just before dusk following the lifting of a closure order that significantly affected global travel for heathrow-after-major-substation-fire-causes-chaos-for-1300-flights/” title=”Historic Moment: First Flight Touches Down at Heathrow After Major Substation Fire Causes Chaos for 1,300+ Flights!”>countless passengers.
Flight tracking service FlightRadar 24 reported that more than 1,350 flights to and from Heathrow were disrupted, with repercussions anticipated for several days as travelers sought to rearrange their plans and airlines endeavored to reposition aircraft and crews.
While the cause of the fire remains undetermined, officials have indicated there’s currently no evidence suggesting foul play.
Residents from west London recounted hearing a thunderous explosion followed by flames and dense smoke as the fire consumed the electrical substation situated close to the airport.
Approximately 120 flights were in transit when authorities announced the closure. Many were redirected while others returned to airports such as Gatwick outside London or Charles de Gaulle in Paris and Shannon Airport in Ireland, according to flight tracking services.
Traveling from New York, Lawrence Hayes found himself diverted to Glasgow instead of Heathrow when Virgin Atlantic announced his flight’s change in destination.
“I was operating on little sleep after an overnight flight,” he shared with BBC upon exiting the plane in Scotland. “Fortunately, I contacted my wife who graciously booked me a train ticket back home. It’s looking like an exhausting day ahead.”
As one of the globe’s busiest airports for international traffic—with its January figures this year showing over 6.3 million travelers (an increase exceeding 5% compared to last year)—Heathrow holds significant importance. However, Friday’s disturbance did not quite reach the extent observed during Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption in 2010, which caused extensive transatlantic air travel disruption lasting several months.
The Fire’s Origins Remain Unknown
The specific spark causing this considerable blaze about two miles (three kilometers) from Heathrow is still unclear; however Energy Secretary Ed Miliband stated there are ”no indications” pointing towards malicious intentions.
The Metropolitan Police force has assigned detectives specializing in counterterrorism to lead investigations given their expertise in expediting conclusions regarding critical national infrastructure incidents like this electrical substation fire.
Officials from Heathrow assured that emergency backup power systems functioned properly; however, they were insufficient for managing operations across such a large facility leading them inevitably towards complete shutdown.
“We foresee major disruptions continuing into days ahead; unrecommended travel is advised until we can confirm reopening,” said a spokesperson underlining safety concerns
Sustained Effects Anticipated
Initially predicting reopening shortly before midnight only moments before announcing restoration via public messaging systems—Heathrow anticipates substantial delays moving forward while passenger travels remain burdensome until all arrangements are remapped effectively post-incident.Persistent conditions made it clear more time would be necessary both directly operationally-backtracking planes carrying cargo alike plus measures ensuring passenger shifts occur seamlessly following standard response procedures unfolding afterward intake resolution insights that may arise further down alongside providing context during these scenarios accordingly showcasing preparedness protocols where required。
Caught At A Standstill
Tensiles began unraveling fast aboard Mark Doherty’s transatlantic journey—mapped routing indicated rerouting their voyage having taken off earlier crossed midway fired back unexpectedly headed back toward New York instead.
