ロンドンのヒースロー空港、変電所での大規模火災で閉鎖

【ロンドンＡＦＰ＝時事】英ロンドン西部にあるヒースロー空港が２１日早朝、施設に電力を供給する変電所で発生した大規模な火災の影響により閉鎖された。当局が発表した。（写真は、英ロンドン西部のヒースロー空港〈資料写真〉）
　空港運営当局は、今後数日にわたって「大規模な混乱が予想される」とし、数百便のフライトや数千～数万人の乗客に影響が出る恐れがあると警告している。
　ウェブサイトでの発表によると、空港は同日深夜（日本時間２２日午前８時５９分）まで閉鎖される予定だという。
　ロンドン消防当局によると、市内ヒリンドン区の空港近くにあるヘイズの変電所で「大規模な」火災が発生したことが確認され、前日深夜に最初の通報があったという。
　ソーシャルメディアには、変電所での火災を捉えたとされる画像が投稿され、巨大な炎と煙が立ち上る様子が確認できる。しかし、画像の真偽についてＡＦＰでは直ちに確認できなかった。
　英電力会社スコティッシュ・アンド・サザン・エレクトリシティ・ネットワークスは、「予期しない停電」により、地域の１万６０００世帯以上で停電が発生しているとウェブサイトで明らかにした。
　ヒースロー空港は年間８０００万人以上の乗客が利用しており、運営当局によると、１日に約１３００回の離着陸が行われるという。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2025/03/21-17:03）

Britain's Heathrow airport, Europe's busiest, shut down early Friday after a major fire at an electricity substation cut power to the sprawling hub, disrupting hundreds of flights and thousands of travellers.
Airport authorities said they expect significant disruption over the coming days, while online flight tracking service FlightRadar24 said at least 1,351 flights to and from the airport would be affected.
Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage, the airport operator said in a statement on its website, adding it would be closed until just before midnight Friday (2359 GMT).
Passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens.
Some 120 flights heading to Heathrow were in the air when the closure was announced, FlightRadar24 said.
London Fire Brigade said there had been a significant fire at a substation in Hayes, a nearby town in the London borough of Hillingdon, which caused the power outage.
It said 10 fire engines and around 70 firefighters were on the scene, while around 150 people had been evacuated from nearby properties.
Images on social media -- which could not immediately be verified by AFP -- showed huge flames and smoke rising from the substation.
Other videos, apparently shot inside Heathrow's terminals, showed shuttered shops and deserted corridors, lit only by emergency lighting.
The fire has caused a power outage affecting a large number of homes and local businesses, and we are working closely with our partners to minimise disruption, said London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner Pat Goulbourne.
He said the blaze was first reported at 11:23 pm (2323 GMT).
This is a highly visible and significant incident, and our firefighters are working tirelessly in challenging conditions to bring the fire under control as swiftly as possible, a statement said.
British utility firm Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said on its website that an unplanned outage had left more than 16,000 homes without power in the area.
- 80 million passengers a year -
Heathrow handles more than than 80 million passengers a year and the operator says there are around 1,300 takeoffs or landings a day.
Seven United Airlines flights returned to their airport of origin or to other airports and all Friday flights to London Heathrow are being cancelled, a spokesperson said.
British Airways said in a statement that the closure of its main hub will clearly have a significant impact on our operation and our customers and we're working as quickly as possible to update them on their travel options for the next 24 hours and beyond.
The UK's second busiest airport Gatwick said it would accept some flights from Heathrow.
We are aware of the situation at HeathrowAirport today and are supporting as required. Flights from London Gatwick are operating as normal today, it said on X.
In Sydney, Qantas said two flights en route to Heathrow -? a non-stop flight from Perth and another via Singapore -- had both been diverted to Paris?s Charles de Gaulle airport.
In January, the government gave permission for Heathrow to build a third runway -- which could be ready by 2035 -- after years of legal wrangling brought on by complaints from local residents.
Five major airports serve the British capital and towns nearby.
But capacity is stretched, especially at Heathrow whose two runways each measure almost four kilometres in length, while the airport covers a total area 12.3 square kilometres.
It opened in 1946 as London Airport before being renamed Heath Row, a hamlet demolished two years earlier to make way for the construction.
Situated 25 kilometres (15 miles) west of central London, Heathrow currently has four terminals and serves 200 destinations in more than 80 countries.
Among its main flight destinations last year were Dublin, Los Angeles, Madrid and New York.