Heathrow Airport in London was shut down all day on Friday, March 21, because of a big fire at a nearby electrical station that cut off its power. This caused chaos, affecting around 1,350 flights since it is Europe’s busiest airport. Because of the closure, many passengers had to change their travel plans.
When the airport closed, about 120 flights were already in the air, and some had to go back while others were rerouted to different airports such as Gatwick, Charles de Gaulle in Paris, and Shannon in Ireland.
What happened? The airport closed when there was a significant fire at an electricity substation in Hayes, west London. The London Fire Brigade received the call about the fire at 11:23 PM the night before. They sent 10 fire engines and many firefighters to fight the blaze. Around 150 people living nearby were safely evacuated. Firefighters worked hard under tough conditions and finally got the fire under control by 8 AM.
The fire left around 100,000 homes without power overnight, but electricity was restored for most residents, leaving only about 4,000 without power.
Top airline companies affected included British Airways, American Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic. They reported flight cancellations and advised their passengers not to travel to the airport. For example:
– Air India: Canceled flights to and from Heathrow.
– British Airways: Informed customers not to come to the airport due to the power outage.
– United Airlines: Canceled Friday flights to Heathrow.
Heathrow Airport has been a crucial travel hub since it opened in 1946. It has four terminals and links to over 200 destinations in more than 80 countries.
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