Heathrow flights to Scotland resume after fire

EPA

Flights have resumed to Scotland from Heathrow Airport

Flights between Heathrow and Scotland’s major airports have resumed after a day of chaos caused by a nearby fire.

However, passengers are still being advised to check travel plans in advance with disruption likely to continue for days.

A power outage occurred at the airport after a transformer within the North Hyde electrical substation caught fire in west London.

Among those affected were Tartan Army football fans travelling back from watching the national team’s 1-0 victory over Greece on Thursday.

More than 1,300 flights were disrupted on Friday after the blaze broke out, including British Airways flights to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee and Inverness airports.

Heathrow only reopened late on Friday afternoon, with the initial priority being flights that had been diverted away from London.

By Saturday morning services from Heathrow into Scotland were once again operating regularly, with a flight from London to Aberdeen departing just after 06:30 and arriving in Scotland around 07:40.

Some Edinburgh flights were cancelled throughout the morning but were expected to fly as planned throughout the afternoon.

In a statement on social media Glasgow Airport said: “We advise all passengers travelling to LHR over the next few days to check with their airline for the status of their flight before heading to the airport.”

Adam Boggon

Adam Boggon was delayed 14 hours on his trip to Glasgow

Adam Boggon, a doctor from Culross, was travelling back from Boston to attend a friend’s wedding.

Instead of arriving in Glasgow on Friday night, he found himself still in America, before eventually getting an overnight flight to London, and then a subsequent one to Scotland.

He told BBC Scotland he felt “lucky” the delay was only 14 hours, and that he hoped to make it to the wedding in time for the evening reception.

Family handout

Liz Steele missed her youngest son’s graduation

Less fortunate was Liz Steele, who missed her youngest son Paddy’s graduation in Stirling on Friday.

She told BBC News: “It was devastating.

“I know that there are people that have been affected much worse than this, but I’ve been to every other graduation that my kids have had, Masters and undergrads, and I just always thought that I would be there.”

Travellers previously told BBC Scotland News they had spent hundreds of pounds on alternative flights in order to travel home, with Scotland fans concerned the disruption could affect them making the second leg of the Nations league playoff against Greece at Hampden on Sunday.

Graeme Shinny, from Aberdeen, paid £500 for a flight from Athens to Dublin on Friday evening.

He planned to travel to Ireland, stay overnight at the airport and then fly home from there so he could attend the football and then his son’s birthday on Monday.

He told BBC Radio Scotland’s Drivetime programme: “Some [fans] aren’t in a particular rush to get back. For me, I had to get back.”

Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye denied the incident had made the airport a “laughing stock”.

He told the BBC’s Today programme: “”We have other substations but to switch them in takes time.

“The situation was not created at Heathrow Airport, it was created outside the airport and we had to deal with the consequences.”

British Airways is understood to be the airline worst affected by the disruption, with a spokesperson saying around 85% of services would be able to fly today.

On social media Heathrow Airport advised all passengers to check flights in advance before travelling.

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