FLIGHTS between Ireland and London Heathrow has almost returned to normal today.
A fire at a nearby substation on Friday shut down Europe’s busiest airport.
The daa, which operates Dublin Airport, says 30 of the 32 flights scheduled between the Dublin and Heathrow yesterday “are expected to operate”.
The Heathrow route is the busiest for Dublin Airport.
On Friday, 34 Aer Lingus and British Airways flights between the two airports were cancelled.
The daa said British Airways had cancelled one flight from Dublin at 1.05pm and one inbound service from Heathrow, due to arrive at 12pm today.
Aer Lingus said it is “planning to operate its normal schedule to and from London Heathrow today”.
The airline said customers impacted by the chaos can apply for a refund or change their flight for free online.
The daa said some disruption at Heathrow Airport is possible and advised passengers “contact their airline directly” for updates and info.
Shannon Airport also confirmed that its schedules had returned to normal.
Cork Airport and Ireland West Airport also returned to normal service.
‘SIGNIFICANT DISRUPTION’
Meanwhile, 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”.
‘STRATEGIC MOVE’
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.”
