Today's Edition
YOUSUF SAIFUDDIN KAPADIA (ABU DHABI)
Flights began landing at London's Heathrow Airport as it aims to return to normal operation on Saturday after the airport was shut over a loss of power, with restrictions on overnight flights temporarily lifted.
Flights resumed at the West London airport on Friday evening following hours of closure after a blaze knocked out an electricity substation in Hayes late on Thursday evening.
UAE airlines also announced resumption of flights on Saturday after cancellations on Friday amid the London airport's shutdown.
In a travel update issued by Emirates, the airline resumed flight operations between Dubai International (DXB) and London Heathrow Airport (LHR) on March 22, starting with flight EK007 (DXB‑LHR).
Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways issued a travel update, saying that the airline progressively resumed its full flight schedule between Abu Dhabi (AUH) and London Heathrow (LHR) on March 22.
Guests were encouraged to check their flight status on the airline's website.
"London Heathrow is expected to be very busy on Saturday, and customers are advised to allow extra time ahead of their flights. Our dedicated teams are working closely with guests affected by the closure of London Heathrow on 21 March to provide assistance with their travel plans," the statement added.
Earlier on Friday, a statement issued by Dubai Airports spokesperson said that eight outbound flights from Dubai International to London Heathrow, along with one inbound flight from LHR to DXB, were cancelled following the temporary closure of Heathrow Airport.
A statement issued by Dubai-based Emirates airline said that the following flights to/from London were cancelled on Friday:
- EK001/002 21MAR DXB‑LHR‑DXB
- EK029/030 21MAR DXB‑LHR‑DXB
- EK031/032 21MAR DXB‑LHR‑DXB
- EK008 21MAR LHR‑DXB
- EK003/004 21MAR DXB‑LHR‑DXB
- EK005/006 21MAR DXB‑LHR‑DXB
"We're monitoring the situation closely and will update our customers as the situation develops. Customers are also advised to check our website for updates before their travel. Emirates is offering customers affected by the flight cancellations the option to rebook to travel to other UK airports, or to travel on a later date," the statement further added.
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways had cancelled the following flights to and from London on March 21:
- EY62 London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi
- EY63 Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow
- EY64 London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi
- EY65 Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow
- EY66 London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi
- EY67 Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow
Guests travelling to or from London are urged to check the status of their flight on the airline's official website.
Both airlines regretted any inconvenience caused by this disruption.
Commenting on the incident, London's Metropolitan Police said they are not treating the incident as suspicious and the London Fire Brigade's investigation is focusing on the electrical distribution equipment.
(Note: An earlier version of this story informed about flight cancellations on March 21. The story has been updated on March 22 with recent travel updates issued by the airlines)
