Fire forces London’s Heathrow Airport to close causing flight chaos

LONDON –  Britain’s Heathrow Airport was shut on Friday after a huge fire at a nearby substation knocked out its power, stranding passengers around the world and angering airlines who questioned how such crucial infrastructure could fail.

Huge orange flames and plumes of black smoke shot into the sky around 2300 GMT on Thursday as a blaze engulfed the substation, cutting the power supply and back-up system for Europe’s busiest and the world’s fifth-busiest airport.

Police said while there was no indication of foul play they retained an open mind and counter-terrorism officers would lead the inquiries given the critical nature of the infrastructure, and their capabilities.

Airline experts said the last time European airports experienced disruption on such a large scale was the 2010 Icelandic ash cloud that grounded some 100 000 flights.

The industry is now facing the prospect of a financial hit costing tens of millions of pounds, and a likely fight over who should pay.

“You would think they would have significant back-up power,” one top executive from a European airline told Reuters.

The fire brigade said the cause of the fire was not known, but that 25 000 litres of cooling oil in the substation’s transformer had caught fire. It had brought the blaze under control by the early morning with the transformer doused in white firefighting foam.

Heathrow had been due to handle 1 351 flights on Friday, flying up to 291,000 passengers. The closure forced flights to divert to other airports in Britain and across Europe, while many long-haul flights returned to their point of departure.

Passengers stranded in London and facing the prospect of days of disruptions were scrambling to make alternate travel arrangements.

“When we first came here, (it was) very exciting and hopeful,” said Beau Mahr, 21 from the US state of Iowa. “Now that we have to wait, it’s kind of stressful.”

Industry experts warned that some passengers forced to land in Europe may have to stay in transit lounges if they lack the paperwork to leave the airport.

Global flight schedules will also be affected, as aircraft and crews will now be out of position, forcing carriers to rapidly reconfigure their networks.

Prices at hotels around Heathrow jumped, with booking sites offering rooms for 500 pounds ($645), roughly five times the normal price levels.

“Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport and should contact their airline for further information,” Heathrow said, adding that the airport would be shut until midnight on Friday. “We apologise for the inconvenience.” (Reuters)

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