Luton airport has confirmed that passengers have started to return to its terminal following a massive fire in an onsite car park overnight, with the first flights of the day scheduled to depart at 3pm.
The blaze erupted at Terminal Car Park 2 on Tuesday night, causing outbound and inbound flights to be cancelled.
An airport spokesperson said at 2.02pm today that emergency services remain on site as a precaution, but the incident has been downgraded and flights are set to resume.
The spokesperson said: “The teams have worked hard to get the airport operational, with the first passengers now re-entering the terminal and the first flights expected to depart from 3pm.
“For those arriving by car, the long and mid-stay car parks are fully operational, and a temporary drop-off area has been established in the mid-stay car park.
“For those travelling to the airport by rail, the DART shuttle remains out of service with replacement buses in operation.
“Additional staff remain on hand to assist passengers across the airport.
“Those with queries relating to a parked vehicle or future booking, in Terminal Car Park 2 and Terminal Car Park 1, should contact luton.customerservices@apcoa.com for support.”
In a separate statement, Apcoa Parking confirmed the planned strike action by members of the Unite union had been suspended following the fire.
The company said: “In light of the major incident at Luton airport and following a discussion between the Unite union and Apcoa, Unite has suspended the planned industrial action which was due to commence on Friday 13th October. Apcoa appreciates Unite and its members acting so quickly in suspending their industrial action, so all our colleagues can support Luton airport and its customers through this challenging period.”
Photo: Beds Fire and Rescue/X