Flights suspended until midday and, more seriously, injuries. London’s Luton Airport is the victim of a fire which caused the partial collapse of one of its car parks.
“The safety of our passengers and staff remains our top priority. We have therefore made the decision to suspend all flights until Wednesday October 11 at 12 p.m., i.e. 1 p.m. Paris time, the airport announced on Wednesday October 11 on its website.
Luton, located about forty kilometers north of central London and served by several low-cost airlines – easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air in particular -, has advised passengers not to go there “because access remains very limited”.
The fire broke out around 9 p.m. local time on Tuesday in a recently constructed parking lot. Images broadcast by British media show a multi-story building on fire near a terminal. Witnesses on social media reported explosions.
“Incredible” speed
Local ambulance services clarified on X (formerly Twitter) that five people – four firefighters and an airport employee – had been admitted to hospital. Another injured person was treated on site, said the same source.
Firefighters said they were working on the site to put out the fire and prevent it from spreading to other buildings. “The structure of the building suffered a significant collapse,” Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said on X.
Passengers quoted in the British media said their flight was canceled after they had already boarded. Russell Taylor, 41, who was able to land from Edinburgh in Scotland, told the British Press Association (PA) that the disaster then developed at an “incredible” speed.
“There were a few fire engines with a car on fire on the upper level of the parking lot just after 9 p.m.,” he described. “A few minutes later the entire floor was burning with alarms going off and loud explosions coming from the burning cars. »
Luton Airport saw 13 million passengers pass through in 2022.