Expert comment: Heathrow closure impact will be felt globally

“The closure of the UK’s biggest airport, Heathrow, will cause huge disruption to air travel, especially amongst those who had already departed on their journeys when the incident happened, with many passengers and airlines facing delays, diversions or cancellations.

“Flights have been diverted to alternate airports like London Gatwick, Luton and Manchester. However, due to the sheer volume of flights scheduled to land at Heathrow, some are being directed to other airports across Europe such as, Amsterdam Schiphol and Paris Charles de Gaulle.  But, with limited airbridge capacity, other flights are returning to their original departure points, indicating the significant global impact of the situation on flight paths, causing major disruptions.

“If airspace and airport capacity are too limited at alternate airports, some flights may be forced to return to their original departure points, adding to the logistical chaos and inconveniencing passengers who were expecting to reach their destination.  Subsequently, with these diversions and returning flights to alternate destinations, we’re likely to see increased congestion at airports, not just nationally but internationally, that may cause delays for additional flights, potentially leading to further rerouting as many airports reach capacity.

“We’ll likely see a short-term scramble by airlines to manage their fleets. They’ll be trying to accommodate passengers by rebooking them or finding alternative flights, causing a global ripple effect throughout the air travel system. With limited air bridge capacity at some alternate airports, it's possible that some passengers might even be stranded or face further delays.

“Heathrow is a major supply hub of global air travel and this closure is going to have a significant impact on international flight paths, as many airlines rely on the airport for connections. As such, the impact of this closure will be felt across the entire global network of air travel, leading to delays, cancellations and schedule adjustments for weeks, primarily due to the displacement of fleet stock.”