Heathrow Airport says it’s now able to “safely restart flights”

UPDATE: Heathrow Airport is advising that it’s now “safely able to restart flights,” however it said in the statement, posted on its website, that in order to “maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues,” it will be “running a reduced operation prioritizing repatriation and relocation of aircraft.”

There was no indication from  the airport as to how long it would take for flight operations to get back to normal.

Airlines here in Canada were advising passengers of their flexible rebooking policies due to the situation, while several tour operators were providing advice to clients caught in the closing.

Earlier today, London’s Heathrow Airport advised that it would be closed until 23:59 on March 21 (today) because it is experiencing “significant” power outage due to a fire at an electrical substation that supplies the airport with power.

The airport, in an alert on its website, advised passengers not to travel to the airport and that they should contact their airline for further information.

London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan said that: “The fire is having a significant impact on the local area with the airport closed, other businesses affected and homes left without power.”

The Mayor continued: “I know this will be hugely frustrating for the many thousands expecting to travel to and from Heathrow today, the families who have had their power cut and the commuters who have had their journeys disrupted.”

Reports indicate that Heathrow was expecting to handle 1,351 flights today (March 21) that would carry up to close to 300,000 passengers.

Go to https://www.heathrow.com/ for more.