DOZENS of flights between Ireland and the United Kingdom’s busiest airport were cancelled yesterday due to a horror blaze.
London Heathrow Airport was forced to shut down yesterday due to a power outage caused by a massive fire at a nearby electrical station, causing global travel chaos.
Dublin Airport issued an update on flights to and from London Heathrow Airport[/caption]
The shocking incident left nearly 300,000 passengers stranded as the busiest airport in Europe shuts down.
European flights were diverted to alternative airports or returned to their original destination.
Many international flights from the US and Asia were forced to turn around in mid-air.
The closure was estimated to have impacted over 1,300 flights yesterday, with more than 4,000 flights being subsequently cancelled or delayed over the five days.
This morning, the spokesperson of Heathrow Airport confirmed that they are “fully operational” after the fire incident caused travel mayhem.
They said: “Flights have resumed at Heathrow, and we are open and fully operational. All terminals and all car parks are open across Heathrow.
“Teams across the airport continue to do everything they can to support passengers impacted by yesterday’s outage at an off-airport power substation.
“Passengers travelling today should check with their airline for the latest information regarding their flight.”
They expect 85 per cent of their Saturday’s Heathrow schedule to run, but it is expected that there may be some delays due to the challenges from the power outage.
Passengers due to fly out from Heathrow Airport are encouraged to come to the airport as usual.
The Metropolitan Police revealed they are not treating the fire incident at the sub-station as suspicious, and the London Fire Brigade is currently investigating the electrical distribution equipment.
It was estimated that 70 flights from Ireland’s airports were impacted by the closure.
Dublin Airport confirmed that all flights to and from London Heathrow were cancelled yesterday, leaving passengers stranded on both sides.
IRISH AIRPORTS UPDATES
However, the airport’s chiefs confirmed today that flights between Dublin Airport and London Heathrow have resumed operations.
They said: “30 of the 32 flights scheduled between the two airports for today are expected to operate.”
This morning, they confirmed that British Airways had cancelled one inbound at 1:05pm and one outbound at noon services.
The chiefs encouraged passengers to seek updates on their flights by contacting their airline directly to ensure their flight is operating as normally.
Flights from Toronto, Atlanta, Bridgetown, Barbados, Boston, Orlando and Newark were being diverted from Heathrow to Shannon Airport, which landed safely with no complications.
Shannon Airport has resumed their operations for flights to and from London Heathrow, with the morning departure flight successfully landing in London on time with no issues.
Cork Airport confirmed that all flights to and from London Heathrow have resumed their regular service after eight flights were cancelled yesterday.
Ireland West Airport Knock has resumed its operations after cancelling all flights to and from the busiest airport yesterday.
‘WAKE-UP CALL’
Fianna Fail Senator Dee Ryan has called for Irish aviation authorities to invest in and utilise regional airports more effectively after the London Heathrow Airport’s travel disruption.
Issuing a statement yesterday, she said: “This morning’s fire at Heathrow has caused significant disruption, however, unlike us, the UK is equipped to absorb that shock because it better utilises its network of airports across the country.
“While London Heathrow is the single biggest airport in the UK, with 79.2 million passengers per annum, that only equates to approximately 34 per cent of all air passengers in the UK.
“By comparison Dublin Airport handles 86 per cent of all passenger numbers in Ireland.”
Ireland has a higher reliance on Dublin airport than the UK has on Heathrow and so a similar incident here would have much greater disruption.
She warned that if Dublin Airport experienced a similar incident, it would have a “knock-on impact” on tourism, trade and business as it would be “catastrophic”.
Ryan added: “The truth is, we have the capacity elsewhere. Regional airports like Shannon, Cork, Knock, and Kerry combined have the space, infrastructure, and skilled staff to handle millions more passengers annually.
“But we need the Government to update the National Aviation Policy to reflect the importance of balanced regional air access.
“We need to spread flights more evenly across the country. This isn’t just about risk management, it’s also about economic development. Directing or incentivising airlines to add routes to regional airports is a strategic move that supports tourism, boosts local economies, and strengthens our national resilience.
“No other country in Europe relies so heavily on a single airport. If we continue down this path, we’re putting all our eggs in one very vulnerable basket.”
