Operations at Heathrow Airport were disrupted after a massive fire at a nearby electricity substation
The closure of the major travel destination is expected to have global impact.
At least 120 flights in the air heading to Heathrow were diverted to other airports, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.
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Some 1,351 flights due to land and take off at Heathrow to other parts of the world were affected on Friday.
“That doesn’t include any flights that might be canceled or delayed due to aircraft being out of position,” FlightRadar24 said.
Some 1,351 flights due to land and take off at the airport, one of the busiest in the world, have been affected
Ian Petchenik, spokesman for FlightRadar24, said, “This is going to disrupt airlines’ operations around the world” as Heathrow “is one of the major hubs of the world.”
It is believed the fire in Hayes, West London, started at an electrical substation that supplies power to the major aviation hub.
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The London Fire Brigade said nearly 200 locals made calls to raise the alarm about a large explosion around 11:23 p.m. on Thursday night.
Heathrow Airport warned passengers to “expect significant disruption over the coming days” and passengers should not travel to the airport “under any circumstances until the airport reopens.”
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British Airways and Virgin Atlantic flights were diverted to the Gatwick Airport nearby.
Some flights that took off from parts of the US turned around midair and landed back where they departed from.
Flights from the US turned around midair and landed back at the airport they took off from
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British Airways acknowledged the situation, as the airline had 341 flights scheduled to land at the affected airport Friday.
“This will clearly have a significant impact on our operation and our customers, and we are working as quickly as possible to update them on their travel options for the next 24 hours and beyond,” the carrier said.
Aside from the British airport, the fire in Hayes has also caused massive disruption on the ground, with the power outage impacting over 16,000 homes.
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“A fire at North Hyde substation in West London has damaged equipment, leading to a loss of power supply in the area,” National Grid UK said in a statement.
“We are working at speed to restore power supplies as quickly as possible and will provide an update as soon as we can,” added the UK’s electricity and gas transmission network.
