16 hours ago
Last Updated:March 25, 2025, 09:58 IST
Europe's largest airport, Heathrow, was forced to close on Friday after a fire at a key electricity substation disrupted power supplies, impacting airport operations.
Scenes from Heathrow airport, after a fire at a nearby electrical substation wiped out the power at the airport. (Reuters)
A body representing over 90 airlines, has warned of potential legal action if a settlement isn’t reached regarding costs incurred during the recent Heathrow Airport shutdown.
The chief executive of Heathrow Airline Operators’ Committee Nigel Wicking told Sky News he hoped the matter could be “amicably settled at some point in time" but said, “if we don’t get good enough recourse and repayment in terms of the costs, then yes, there might be a case for legal action".
“I would hope not. But in some of these situations that’s the only course once you’ve gone through everything else", he added.
Europe’s largest airport, Heathrow, was forced to close on Friday after a fire at a key electricity substation disrupted power supplies, impacting airport operations.
No planes were allowed to take off or land, causing flight diversions. About 1,300 flights were impacted with roughly 250,000 passengers affected.
Although some flights resumed Friday evening, airlines struggled to recover due to crew members being dispersed globally, causing significant disruptions for passengers.
Wicking also called for an independent investigation of what happened and why recovery took so long.
“Airlines have a regulatory duty to take care of their passengers," he said. “But in this particular case, we do feel that it was another party that caused the situation."
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has launched an investigation into the recent substation fire incident, working with energy regulator Ofgem and the Energy System Operator (NESO) to get to the bottom of it.
Travel expert Paul Charles, a former Virgin Atlantic communications director and chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency said that the airlines and suppliers alone could face costs of “at least" £20m for the day of halted operations.
The figure includes an estimate of expenses for passengers, crew accommodation, additional transport, fuel and other costs for the aircraft themselves.
Location :United Kingdom (UK)
First Published:March 25, 2025, 09:58 IST
News world Airlines Threaten Legal Action Over Heathrow Airport Shutdown Costs
