A fire at a nearby electrical substation on Thursday night has left the airport and thousands of nearby homes and businesses without power. It will remain closed on Friday and passengers have been told not to travel to the airport until it reopens.
A spokesperson for British Airways said that the closure “will clearly have a significant impact on our operation and our customers and we’re working as quickly as possible to update them on their travel options for the next 24 hours and beyond”.
London Gatwick has accepted seven diverted flights that were scheduled to land at Heathrow on Friday. A spokesperson for the Sussex airport said: “Flights are operating from London Gatwick as normal today.”
London Luton has said there is no impact on its operations and no diversions have been requested.
Passengers with flights departing from Heathrow should not travel to the airport until a timeline is announced for its reopening.
“We expect significant disruption over the coming days and passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens.
Engage with your airline
Due to the scale of the disruption, airlines may be slow to respond. Passengers whose flights have been cancelled and who have not received any communication from their airline, should keep up to date via their relevant websites and social media channels.
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All flights departing Heathrow on Friday have been cancelled. If you decide to accept the cancellation and take a full refund, this should be paid within seven days. However, it is important to know that when this option is accepted, your airline has no further duty of care – it is up to you to organise any further travel plans.
However, it should also offer the option to travel on a different carrier and from a different airport if this is significantly earlier than the next available flight from Heathrow. If this is not offered and you need to travel urgently, you can organise an alternative flight yourself, and submit a claim to your airline – keep all receipts.
Ryanair has announced some additional “rescue” flights on Friday between Dublin and Stansted.
Weekend departures: consider the options
Flights will be significantly disrupted over the weekend, potentially for longer depending on when Heathrow reopens. Flight tracker Flightradar24 says that 4,545 flights are scheduled to depart from the airport in the next seven days.
It is not advisable to cancel a flight if the airline has said it will operate, since this could be considered a disinclination to travel and will likely result in forfeiting the cost of the flight.
Using a flight tracker such as Flightradar24 can also provide information about the location of planes for cancelled flights.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is advising passengers to check its website for their passenger rights: caa.co.uk/passengers-and-public/resolving-travel-problems/delays-and-cancellations.
Count the costs
However, you should check your travel insurance policy as some associated costs could be covered, such as airport parking fees, additional transport costs, and car hire.
If your flight to Heathrow was diverted to another airport, your airline must bear the cost of transferring you to another close-by destination agreed with you. If you have paid for this yourself, keep receipts and submit a claim.
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