Heathrow closed due to power cut: ‘Maybe India can help UK manage its airports better,’ jokes ex-union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar
Heathrow flight operations severely disrupted
According to Reuters, at least 120 inbound flights to Heathrow were diverted, while services for another 1,351 flights were also impacted. Data from FlightRadar24 indicated that some flights had to turn back mid-air to their departure points. A Qantas Airways flight was rerouted to Paris, while a United Airlines flight landed in Shannon, Ireland. The airport, which typically manages 80 million passengers annually and averages 1,300 daily takeoffs and landings, has been severely affected.
Former Indian minister’s reaction
Former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar reacted to the situation with a post on X, commenting on a news report about the closure. He wrote, “Maybe India can help UK manage its airports better? (sic)”
Closure expected to last for a full day
Heathrow Airport, via its official X account (formerly Twitter), confirmed that the closure would continue until 11:59 pm on March 21. Authorities have yet to announce when normal operations will resume.
Passengers express frustration
Travellers took to social media to share their experiences. One passenger wrote on X, “90 minutes flight to London, captain comes on and says we’re going back to LAX because there’s a fire at a substation near Heathrow, which is now closed for 24 hours.” Another user posted, “We are over the Atlantic Ocean right now and they are turning our plane around due to a fire at Heathrow Airport. With a 2-year-old and 3-year-old in tow and on our way to a wedding that we might not make in time now.”
(With inputs from Agencies)
