Heathrow airport says some services will resume on 21 March before full operations return on Saturday, following a total grounding of flights in response to a power outage.
The London airport – one of the world’s busiest hubs – announced early morning on 21 March that it would be closed until the end of the day, after it suffered power outage relating to an electrical substation fire.
But with power returning to the facility, Heathrow now believes some operations will be possible on 21 March. They will be “repatriation flights and relocating aircraft”, the airport says, as it continues to advise passengers not to travel to the airport unless advised otherwise by their airlines.
“We will now work with the airlines on repatriating the passengers who were diverted to other airports in Europe,” Heathrow states, cautioning that the “size and complexity of the operation” means it will take time for flights to restart.
Heathrow adds that it is aiming to have a “full operation” on 22 March, although disruption is likely to last for several days as airlines such as the hub’s biggest operator, British Airways, grapple with the logistical challenge of moving passengers, crew and aircraft to the right places.
Data from Cirium, the aviation analytics company, shows Heathrow is due to handle 1,219 flights on 22 March.
