After a fire at an electrical substation providing power to London Heathrow Airport in the early hours of today, the airport confirmed it will remain closed until at least midnight on March 21st, 2024
Several industry voices have now lent their voices to passengers and agents affected by the closure of the airport, the cancellation of flights, and predicted the impact that will carry on long beyond midnight tonight.
Advantage: compensation up in the air
Julia Lo Bue-Said, the Advantage Travel Partnership's CEO, acknowledged the "very significant knock-on impact on all travel," that Heathrow's closure will inevitably have.
"Of course, the priority for everyone is safety, and the airport and the airlines will be working hard today to make sure the area is safe and that they can resume operations as soon as possible.
"Under UK Law, when flights are delayed or cancelled, airlines have a duty to look after their passengers be that by providing meals, accommodation with an obligation of getting you to your destination as soon as possible, even if that’s on an alternative airline, however customers can also choose to have a full refund if this is preferred.
"Compensation however tends to be offered when the airline is at fault whereas today’s event is likely to qualify as “extraordinary circumstances” so compensation may not be offered. This is very much an evolving situation so we would advise travellers in the first instance to follow the advice being given by Heathrow and not travel to the airport today."
ABTA: acknowledging air passengers' rights
An ABTA spokesperson reminded passengers of their rights regarding the disruption.
"If your flight has been disrupted due to the power outage at Heathrow, you have significant rights in relation to replacement flights, refunds and general customer care.
"If your flight is cancelled and you’re departing from the UK or travelling to the UK with a UK airline, then your airline must offer you the choice of a replacement flight at the earliest opportunity or a refund.
"If you’re flying to the UK with a non-UK airline, you should check the terms and conditions of your booking to see what you’re entitled to.
"If your flight is delayed or cancelled and you’ve booked a package holiday, you have the same rights as any other passenger as well as additional protection for the rest of your holiday."
Swiipr: the "extraordinary event" caveat
Swiipr is a payment partner of several global airlines and warned passengers that those "impacted by the shutdown are unlikely to be eligible for compensation payments if their flight is delayed or cancelled, as the fire will almost certainly be considered an extraordinary event.
"We remain on high support alert with all our clients, as under UK regulations, airlines still have a duty of care towards passengers who experience significant disruptions, and must provide them with assistance - including the provision of food and drink and accommodation for overnight delays.
"Many other UK airports are likely to have increased traffic as travel to and from Heathrow spills over."
