Travellers affected by the Heathrow Airport closure may face additional financial woes as insurance policies "might not cover the disruption", according to a commentator.
London's largest airport has been forced to close following a massive fire at an electrical substation in Hayes, west London.
The blaze, which erupted late Thursday night, triggered a widespread power outage affecting the airport's operations.
Speaking to GB News, author and commentator Nichi Hodgson said: "One of the issues is that if you have travel insurance, it might not actually cover this.
Flight from Heathrow have been cancelled for the day
PA"I mean, the airlines themselves won’t necessarily need to pay out, because it's not their fault, is it?
"It’s a problem, so you can imagine how many upset people there are today.
"I just think, politically, this is really damaging.
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"Because although they might say, ‘Oh, well, it’s just one day that we have this incident,’ the knock-on ramifications are huge.
"I have no doubt these pictures will be beamed around the world. Britain’s open for business?
"Well, no, it’s not. It doesn’t look good at all. So, this is going to be a real problem for Keir Starmer."
Former Conservative adviser Charlie Rowley added: "Is the Heathrow third runway actually something that residents who have been hugely disrupted will support as well?
Nichi Hodgson warned that travel insurance "may not cover" the cancelled flights
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"It won’t just be passengers who are affected, although that will obviously be the headline today, with people unable to catch flights.
"But residents are being evacuated, no doubt in the middle of the night, getting a knock on their door and being told to evacuate.
"All these questions will be worrying for people in and around that area. But of course, because it’s Britain’s largest airport, it’s a huge issue for the country."
Heathrow confirmed the closure on social media, stating: "Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage."
Heathrow Airport has been closed for the day GBNThe airport will remain closed until 23:59 on March 21 as a safety measure. Passengers have been advised not to travel to the airport and to contact their airlines for further information.
The London Fire Brigade deployed 70 firefighters and 10 fire engines to tackle the flames at Nestles Avenue in Hayes.
More than 150 individuals have been evacuated from nearby areas as a safety precaution. The power outage has affected over 16,000 homes in the region.
A 200-metre cordon has been established around the site, with residents advised to keep doors and windows closed due to smoke.
