Latest news with #PatGoulbourne
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Yahoo
Fire near London Heathrow closes airport. Which Ohio flights are affected? What to know
One of the busiest airports in the world, London Heathrow is closed today following a large fire at a nearby electrical substation that caused a power outage, USA TODAY is reporting. Is this affecting any Ohio flights? Here's what to know. The London Fire Brigade said a transformer within an electrical substation in Hayes in west London was ablaze, USA TODAY reports. Fire crews responded to the scene at about 11:23 p.m. local time on Thursday and worked through the night. By 4:08 a.m. local time Friday, the London Fire Brigade said half of the transformer was still burning. Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters responded. About 150 people near the fire were evacuated and authorities set up a 200-meter cordon as a precaution, Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne said in a statement. A Heathrow Airport spokesperson told USA TODAY that there is no clarity on when power will restored, and that the airport expects significant disruption over the coming days. According to flight arrivals and departures listed online, there's a British Airways flight from Heathrow arriving at 8:50 p.m. today at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. A flight bound for London will depart at 10:50 p.m. tonight. Both are listed as "on time." No other flights from Ohio's major airports to London were listed. "Heathrow is one of the major hubs of the world," Ian Petchenik, a spokesperson for flight tracking website FlightRadar24, told Reuters. "This is going to disrupt airlines' operations around the world." According to FlightRadar24, scores of flights were already being diverted to other airports. Some flights from the U.S. were turning around mid-air and returning to their point of departure. Heathrow is located in the west London suburban borough of Hounslow, roughly 18 miles from Central London. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Fire shuts down London Heathrow. Are Ohio flights impacted?
CNN
21-03-2025
- CNN
Global travel disruption after Heathrow Airport shuts down over power outage caused by fire
London's Heathrow Airport announced a complete shutdown all day Friday due to a 'significant power outage' due to a large fire nearby, causing massive disruption to one of the world's busiest travel hubs as flights were forced to turn back midair or divert to other locations. 'Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage,' Heathrow Airport said in a statement on X. 'To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23h59 on 21 March.' 'We expect significant disruption over the coming days and passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens,' the airport said in a statement to CNN, adding that they 'do not have clarity on when power may be reliable restored.' A transformer at an electrical substation in Hayes, a London suburb located just a few miles from the airport, caught fire Thursday night, according to the London Fire Brigade. The cause is not yet known, and firefighters were still working to extinguish the blaze as of early Friday morning. The brigade said it evacuated 150 people from the area. More than 16,000 homes lost power, according to utility supplier Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks — with Britain's National Grid 'working at speed' to restore power. Videos shared on social media showed huge flames and smoke rising into the air early Friday. 'As we head into the morning, disruption is expected to increase, and we urge people to avoid the area wherever possible,' Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne said in the fire brigade's statement. In its statement to CNN, the airport said: 'We know this will be disappointing for passengers and we want to reassure that we are working as hard as possible to resolve the situation.' Heathrow Airport appeared largely dark amid the power outage, according to videos shared on social media. The shutdown could affect tens of thousands of travelers. Heathrow was the world's fourth-busiest airport in 2023, according to the most recent data, with a record-breaking 83.9 million passengers passing through last year. Spread across four terminals and located 14 miles west of central London, it usually runs at 99% capacity, with every major airline passing through, meaning it's always very busy. 'Heathrow handles about a quarter of a million passengers a day. It does that with about 1,300 flights a day,' aviation analyst Geoffrey Thomas told CNN on Friday. 'We've got literally hundreds of flights coming in from the United States, from Southeast Asia, the Middle East.' Airline analytics firm Cirium estimated that 'upwards of 145,000' passengers could be impacted. Dual US-Norwegian citizen Kim Mikkel Skibrek had already been flying for three hours from Minneapolis to London when crew announced they had to turn back due to the fire. 'Everything is fine. People were frustrated with the flight returning after over three hours but now it seems everyone is calmer,' Skibrek told CNN. He was traveling home to Oslo to be with his father battling cancer, and said he will have to get another flight as soon as possible. On the same flight, Abby Hertz and her family were traveling to London for the wedding of her husband's best friend. The couple had postponed the wedding once due to Covid and were finally getting married now that their son was in remission from leukemia, Hertz said — but it's not clear if they'll be able to make the wedding now. Meanwhile at New York's JFK Airport, passenger Christine said her British Airways flight had been ready to depart when the pilot announced they'd been asked to hold for a while. Half an hour later, passengers were told Heathrow was closed and that another flight which had already taxied to the runway had turned back — leaving them stuck on the tarmac. 'The mood is fairly relaxed on the plane, surprisingly. They've just come around to feed us,' said Christine, who declined to give her last name. But, she said, with a wedding in the UK to attend Saturday, 'I really hope we're not stuck until then!' According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, more than 1,350 flights going in or out of Heathrow on Friday will be affected. It also said 120 flights were in the air when the announcement came. They had to be diverted to other airports or turned back to their original location. Thomas added that while shorter domestic flights might be able to turn back, that's not an option for long-haul international flights. There are several other airports near London, including Gatwick Airport and Stansted Airport, but those are likely 'at capacity,' meaning diverted flights have to go further to find an alternative place to land — like in Glasgow or Edinburgh, he said. And that could pose another problem. Those other airports, some of them smaller and lower-cost than Heathrow, aren't equipped to handle the sheer number of diverted passengers coming their way, he said. As authorities race to contain the fire and navigate the fallout, they'll also face tough questions, Thomas said, including why such a crucial travel and economic hub wasn't able to tap into a backup power source. This is a developing story and will be updated. — CNN's Martin Goillandeau and Juliana Liu contributed to this report. Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the number of terminals at Heathrow Airport.
CBS News
21-03-2025
- CBS News
London's Heathrow Airport closed Friday due to "significant power outage" from nearby fire
London's Heathrow Airport — one of the world's busiest — announced it was closed Friday because of a "significant power outage" from a nearby fire. "Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage," it said in a post on X . "To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until (11:59 p.m. Friday local time). Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport." Tracking services showed flights being diverted to London's Gatwick Airport, Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and Ireland's Shannon Airport. FlightRadar 24 said at least 1,350 flights into and out of Heathrow were affected, including several from the U.S. that were canceled. The impact was likely to last several days as passengers attempted to make alternate plans. Britain's National Rail service cancelled service to and from Heathrow for the day . The London Fire Brigade said 10 fire engines and around 70 firefighters were tackling the blaze at a substation near the airport in the west London town of Hayes. It started late Thursday night. "This will be a prolonged incident, with crews remaining on scene throughout the night," the brigade said. At about 8 a.m. local time, the brigade said it was "under control, but we will remain on scene throughout the day." The fire was "producing a significant amount of smoke. Please keep your windows and doors closed and avoid the area where possible," the brigade urged. The power outage was "affecting a large number of homes and local businesses, and we are working closely with our partners to minimise disruption," Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne said in a statement in which he described the fire as "highly visible and significant." Goulbourne said firefighters had led 29 people to safety from nearby properties, and around 150 people evacuated. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said in a post on X that the power outage affected more than 16,300 homes. It wasn't immediately known what sparked the flames but British energy minister Ed Miliband told LBC Radio there was no suggestion of foul play, the Reuters news service reported. The latest numbers from travel data provider OAG Aviation show Heathrow is the fifth busiest airport in the world. It is Britain's busiest. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Daily Tribune
21-03-2025
- Daily Tribune
Heathrow Airport Shut Down for 24 Hours After Major Fire at Electricity Substation
Britain's Heathrow Airport, the busiest in Europe, was forced to close early Friday due to a major fire at an electricity substation, which led to a significant power outage affecting the sprawling facility west of London. Authorities confirmed the airport would remain closed for 24 hours, causing major disruptions to travel. The power failure, which was linked to the fire at the substation in Hayes, a town in the London borough of Hillingdon, has resulted in significant travel delays. Airport authorities warned that "significant disruption" is expected to continue for several days, with hundreds of flights and thousands of passengers impacted. "Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage," the airport operator said in a statement on its website. "The airport will be closed until 11:59 PM GMT today, and passengers are advised not to travel to the airport until it reopens." Flight tracking service FlightRadar24 reported that the airport's closure would impact at least 1,351 flights. Of these, 120 flights were already en route when the closure announcement was made. London Fire Brigade responded to the fire at the substation with 10 fire engines and around 70 firefighters on the scene. Approximately 150 people were evacuated from nearby properties. Images circulating on social media, although not yet verified, showed dramatic scenes of flames and thick smoke rising from the substation. Videos taken inside Heathrow's terminals depicted empty corridors and shuttered shops, illuminated only by emergency lighting. The fire has not only caused the power outage at Heathrow but has also affected local businesses and homes. London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne stated, "We are working closely with our partners to minimise disruption and restore power as quickly as possible." Passengers are urged to stay updated on the situation and avoid traveling to Heathrow until further notice.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Yahoo
The Latest: Hundreds of thousands of passengers face flight cancelations as Heathrow closes
LONDON (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of passengers faced flight cancelations at Europe's busiest travel hub after a fire knocked out power to London's Heathrow Airport, forcing it to close for the day. At least 1,350 flights to and from Heathrow were affected already, including several from U.S. cities that were canceled, flight tracking service FlightRadar 24 said. Here's the latest: Heathrow closure has widespread impact on air travel The closure of Heathrow rippled through global aviation. The long-haul carrier Emirates in Dubai, which has London as one of its top destinations, cancelled six round-trip flights to Heathrow on Friday alone. Etihad in neighboring Abu Dhabi cancelled two round-trip flights, while one flight diverted to Frankfurt, Germany. Qatar Airways said at least seven scheduled flights were 'impacted,' with its staff working with passengers. Blaze that shut down Heathrow is unprecedented, UK government minister says A British government minister says a 'catastrophic' fire knocked out a backup generator as well as the electrical substation that supplies power to Heathrow Airport. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband told the BBC that the blaze is 'unprecedented.' He said it's too early to know the cause but that lessons will have to be learned about 'protection and the resilience that is in place for major institutions like Heathrow.' Flights from Hong Kong rerouted to Amsterdam, airline says Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways rerouted two overnight flights to Amsterdam and canceled at least two daytime flights to Heathrow, according to the flight status page on its website. Fire that closed Heathrow is now under control but not out The London Fire Brigade says the electrical substation blaze closed Heathrow Airport is under control. The fire caused a widespread power outage, affecting thousands of homes, local businesses, and disrupting thousands of flights. LFB Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne says the fire was under control just after 8 a.m. 'This was a very visible and significant incident, and our firefighters worked tirelessly in challenging conditions to bring the fire under control as swiftly as possible,' he said. 'Thanks to their efforts and a coordinated multi-agency response, we successfully contained the fire and prevented further spread.' Heathrow is one of the world's busiest airports Heathrow is one of the world's busiest airports for international travel. It had its busiest January on record earlier this year, with more than 6.3 million passengers, up more than 5% for the same period last year. January also was the 11th month in a row it averaged over 200,000 passengers a day, with the airport citing transatlantic travel as a key contributor. Heathrow normally opens for flights at 6 a.m. due to nighttime flying restrictions. It said the closure would last until 11:59 p.m. Friday. The U.K. government earlier this year approved building a third runway at the airport to boost the economy and connectivity to the world. Flights turn around as airport closes Seven United Airlines flights returned to their origin or diverted to other airports and its flights Friday to Heathrow were canceled, the airline said. The FlightAware website showed more cancelations including two from John F. Kennedy International in New York, a Delta Airlines flight and an American Airlines flight. Other jets were diverted to Gatwick Airport outside London, Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and Ireland's Shannon Airport, tracking services showed. National Rail canceled all trains to and from the airport. Fire cuts off power to Heathrow and thousands of homes Flames soared into the sky when a transformer at an electrical substation caught fire in west London late Thursday night. The fire continued to smolder after daybreak. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said in a post on X the power outage affected more than 16,300 homes. About 150 people were cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
