Heathrow fire: UAE carriers Emirates, Etihad resume flights to London

Flights between the UAE and London Heathrow Airport have resumed after a day-long suspension following a fire incident. Dubai-based Emirates and Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways confirmed they are progressively reinstating their schedules to the UK’s busiest airport.

London Heathrow was temporarily closed on March 21 due to a fire at Terminal 2, which caused significant operational disruptions. Emergency services responded swiftly, and while no injuries were reported, several flights were delayed or cancelled, affecting thousands of passengers, including those travelling from the UAE.

Following the airport's reopening, Emirates announced that flight operations would resume, starting with EK07 from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Heathrow (LHR) on March 22. Passengers with confirmed bookings for onward travel to Heathrow can proceed from their original departure points. “Those whose flights were cancelled can contact their booking agents or Emirates directly for rebooking assistance,” said Emirates in a travel update. 

Meanwhile, Etihad Airways confirmed it would progressively resume its full flight schedule between Abu Dhabi (AUH) and London Heathrow (LHR) from March 22. The airline has advised travellers to check their flight status on the Etihad website and update their contact details through the “Manage Your Booking” portal to receive real-time updates.

With London Heathrow expected to be particularly busy on March 22 due to the backlog of disrupted flights, Etihad has urged passengers to allow extra time at the airport. The airline also stated that its teams actively assist affected passengers in rearranging their travel plans.

UAE carriers have assured passengers that they are working closely with authorities and airport officials to minimise further disruptions.

The power outage at Heathrow has caused widespread operational issues, with disruptions expected to extend into the weekend. 

Police in London are still investigating the cause of the fire at a substation in the city’s west that led to a widespread power outage, affecting tens of thousands of homes and disrupting operations at Heathrow Airport, The New York Times reported. The Metropolitan Police stated there was no immediate indication of foul play.

A Heathrow representative said on Saturday that the airport had deployed hundreds of additional staff and added extra flights to accommodate 10,000 displaced passengers. Last year, an average of 229,000 travellers passed through the airport daily.

British Airways, Heathrow’s largest carrier, said late Friday that it expected about 85 per cent of its nearly 600 scheduled flights to operate on Saturday but warned that delays were likely. The airline also cancelled select flights on high-frequency routes where passengers had more rebooking options.

The disruption, which began early Friday, lasted for 16 hours, affecting more than a quarter of a million travelers. Cirium, an aviation analytics firm, estimated that over 1,000 flights were diverted.

The disruption had forced the cancellation of all 1,332 scheduled flights for March 21, impacting thousands of travellers and leading to an estimated $26 million in daily losses. Some of the busiest affected routes include: New York JFK (5,300 scheduled seats), Dubai (4,500 seats), and Frankfurt (3,000 seats), according to an OAG report.