Heathrow Airport has closed due to a fire at a nearby electrical substation, affecting the supply of power to its terminals.
As a result of the closure, over 1,300 flights have already been canceled, consisting of the day’s flights to and from the airport. The knock-on effect may lead to delays and further cancellations over the weekend. Flights that had already departed and were due to land at the airport had to be diverted to other airports.
Selina Chadha, group director for consumers at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said, “Passengers are advised not to travel to Heathrow at this time and should contact their airlines for the latest flight updates. We appreciate the difficulties that travel disruption causes, and we expect airlines to take all necessary steps to support and assist their passengers during this period of disruption. The Civil Aviation Authority remains in close contact with Heathrow Airport, airlines and the government during this time.”
Tara Spielhagen, CEO of Swiipr, the compensation payment partner of several airlines, said, “It is another day of travel chaos with the closure of Heathrow and over 1,300 flight cancellations. Passengers impacted by the shutdown are unlikely to be eligible for compensation payments if their flight is delayed or canceled, as the fire will almost certainly be considered an extraordinary event.
“We remain on high support alert with all our clients, as under UK regulations airlines still have a duty of care toward passengers who experience significant disruptions, and must provide them with assistance – including the provision of food and drink and accommodation for overnight delays. Many other UK airports are likely to have increased traffic as travel to and from Heathrow spills over.
“Affected airlines will be under pressure to not only reschedule flights but also ensure they are meeting their passengers’ needs and their regulatory requirements. As payment partner to many airlines, including the UK’s largest operator out of Heathrow, we anticipate a large amount of payments for passengers over the coming days. When last year’s global IT outage grounded thousands of flights, we saw a 200% rise in payments to passengers from airlines on the first day alone. ”
In related news, Heathrow recently announced the largest private investment program in its history and confirmed the airport is developing proposals for a third runway to share with the government by the summer of 2025. Click here to read the full story.