Flight Radar: Heathrow Airport Shutdown and Global Travel Chaos – Live Updates

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The shutdown of London’s Heathrow Airport is causing widespread disruptions to air travel across the globe. A significant power outage, triggered by a fire at a nearby electrical substation, has brought operations to a standstill, impacting thousands of passengers and flights. Let’s dive into the latest developments.

Heathrow Airport Closure: What Happened?

Late Thursday night, a fire erupted at an electrical substation in Hayes, a town located just a few miles from Heathrow Airport. The blaze caused a major power outage, forcing airport authorities to suspend all flights for the remainder of the day. The London Fire Brigade responded swiftly, deploying numerous fire engines and personnel to tackle the situation.

Impact on Global Travel

Heathrow’s closure has had a ripple effect on air travel worldwide. Over 1,300 flights are expected to be affected, impacting the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. Airlines are scrambling to reroute flights, cancel services, and accommodate stranded travelers. The disruptions are expected to last for several days as the airport works to restore power and clear the backlog of flights.

• Flight Diversions: Numerous flights destined for Heathrow have been diverted to other airports in Europe and North America, including Gatwick, Amsterdam, Paris, and even as far as Ireland.
• Airline Cancellations: Major airlines such as British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and Air France have cancelled numerous flights to and from Heathrow.
• Stranded Passengers: Thousands of passengers are stranded at airports around the world, facing long delays and uncertainty about their travel plans.

Heathrow Airport: Passengers Stranded

Passengers share that they are exhausted by early morning flights to Heathrow from long-haul destinations that were diverted to Gatwick at the last minute.

A couple traveling from Thailand to Belfast via Singapore found themselves “limping along” in Gatwick airport for hours Friday morning after their flight was diverted.

Susan Higgins, 70, from Northern Ireland, and her partner Alan, both have mobility issues; they were on a British Airways flight from Singapore when they got news their flight to Heathrow would be diverted to Paris, Frankfurt or Gatwick.

Investigation Underway

Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire at the electrical substation. While initial reports suggest no foul play, counter-terror police are involved due to the incident’s impact on critical national infrastructure. The investigation will likely focus on determining whether the fire was accidental or the result of some other cause.

When Will Heathrow Reopen?

At this stage, it remains unclear when Heathrow Airport will fully reopen. Airport officials have stated that they do not have a clear timeline for restoring power and have advised passengers not to travel to the airport until further notice. Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for the latest updates on their flights.

Airlines Respond

Airlines are taking steps to assist passengers affected by the Heathrow closure.

• Ryanair: Launched eight “rescue flights” between Dublin and London Stansted.
• Air France: Canceled eight flights to and from Heathrow.
• Virgin Atlantic: Is offering flexible options to help customers adjust their travel plans.
• British Airways: Is working as quickly as possible to update them on their travel options for the next 24 hours and beyond.
• Qatar Airways: Passengers impacted due to above will be taken care of by our customer care and airport teams.

Alternative Travel

Eurostar, the company that operates train services between London and Paris, is adding four additional train services today to support travelers impacted by the closure of Heathrow Airport.

Stay Updated

This is a developing story, and we will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available. Keep checking back for the latest news on the Heathrow Airport shutdown and its impact on global travel.

How to Monitor Your Flight

You can monitor your flight status by using a service like Flight Radar.