[SINGAPORE] Most flights operating between Singapore and London’s Heathrow Airport resumed on Mar 22, following a significant power outage that shut down the British capital’s main airport, leaving thousands of passengers and planes stranded.
According to data from flight analytics firm Cirium, three out of four Heathrow-bound flights operated by Singapore Airlines (SIA) and scheduled to depart from Changi Airport on Mar 22 will proceed as planned.
While Flight SQ306, scheduled to depart at 1.10 am, was cancelled, SQ308, which was set to leave at 9 am, and SQ318, scheduled for 12.45 pm, departed from Changi as planned. Flight SQ322 is scheduled to leave at 11.45 pm.
Meanwhile, two Singapore-bound SIA flights from Heathrow on Mar 22 have been cancelled, while two others are set to depart as scheduled, according to Cirium’s data.
A fire at a nearby substation knocked out power at the world’s fifth-busiest airport, with flights resuming hours later on Mar 21 (Mar 22 morning Singapore time). The incident has reportedly prompted aviation experts and airlines to question how such critical infrastructure could fail.
Two SIA flights that left Singapore for Heathrow on Mar 20 and 21 were diverted – one to Frankfurt, Germany, and the other to Paris, France – while four scheduled for departure on Mar 21 and 22 were cancelled. Four Singapore-bound flights from Heathrow on Mar 21 were also cancelled.
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British Airways (BA) and Australian carrier Qantas also operate flights between Singapore and Heathrow Airport.
According to Cirium’s data, BA16 and BA12 departed from Singapore on the night of Mar 21 as planned.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, a BA spokesperson said the airline expects around 85 per cent of flights flying into and departing from Heathrow on Mar 22 to operate as scheduled.
But she added that travellers are likely to experience delays as the airline continues to navigate challenges caused by the power outage.
“We are planning to operate as many flights as possible to and from Heathrow on Mar 22, but to recover an operation of our size after such a significant incident is extremely complex,” the spokesperson said.
Flights to Heathrow operated by Qantas resumed on Mar 21, a spokesperson for the airline told ST.
The Singapore-bound Qantas Flight QF2, initially scheduled to depart Heathrow at 8.10 pm on Mar 21, has been rescheduled to 12 pm on Mar 22. THE STRAITS TIMES
