Heathrow Airport shutdown after fire sparks travel chaos, disrupts global flights

#heathrow #Airport #shutdown
#heathrow #Airport #shutdown
The shutdown of Heathrow Airport after a fire at a nearby electrical substation will have "massive impact" on global aviation and the UK economy, an air transport expert told Reuters on March 21. Independent air transport consultant John Strickland said long haul flights were particularly affected, with many either diverted back to their points of origin or to parts of Europe far from their intended destinations. Heathrow is Europe's busiest and the world's fifth-busiest airport, as well as one of the major transfer hubs. Around 70 firefighters were tackling the blaze in west London, which also knocked out the area's back-up power system, leading to a mass outage at the airport. Huge orange flames and plumes of black smoke could be seen shooting into the sky during the night before firefighters said they had the blaze under control. By early morning the roads around Britain's biggest airport were largely deserted, except for some passengers walking away with their luggage. The London Fire Brigade said the cause of the fire was not known, but British energy minister Ed Miliband said it did not appear to be foul play.

#heathrow #Airport #shutdown