Travel expert Simon Calder has warned that Gatwick Airport is "struggling to cope" with the influx of diverted flights following Heathrow's closure.
Heathrow Airport has been forced to close until midnight tonight following a major fire at a nearby electrical substation.
The blaze caused a mass power outage overnight, throwing the UK's largest airport into chaos.
According to FlightRadar24, at least 1,351 flights to and from Heathrow have been cancelled.
Simon Calder claimed that Gatwick is "struggling to cope"
GB NEWS
Discussing the situation on GB News, travel journalist Simon Calder said: "We have well over 200,000 passengers coming in and out of Heathrow on what is the busiest day of the week at Europe's busiest airport.
"More than 1,300 flights are due to fly in or out. We're already seeing large-scale diversions.
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"For instance, British Airways' incoming flights from Cape Town, Singapore, Johannesburg, and Lagos are landing at Gatwick Airport, which is relatively good news for passengers, as they might think, 'At least I'm in the right place.'
"Of course, this is going to put enormous pressure on Gatwick, where they weren’t expecting such a situation, so they only have the usual number of baggage handlers and UK Border Force staff. It’s going to be very busy there.
"Other passengers are arriving in Shannon, on the west coast of Ireland. It's a beautiful place, but not where you'd want to end up after a long flight, especially when you're bleary-eyed and wondering how you're going to get to your destination.
"British Airways, with more than 50 per cent of its flights affected, is desperately trying to figure out what to do.
Heathrow Airport closed is closed until midnight tonight
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"Can you believe that, even after Heathrow announced it was closed, British Airways was still selling tickets for flights today?
"They’ve now told everyone, 'we can’t fly you today, and we don’t know when we will be able to." Let’s hope very much that the airport returns to normal operations tomorrow.
"However, even then, planes, pilots, and passengers will be stranded in various parts of the world. It will likely take the rest of the weekend before everyone is where they need to be."
In a statement, Gatwick Airport said: “We are aware of the situation at Heathrow Airport today and stand ready to support as required. Flights are operating from London Gatwick as normal today.”
More than 200,000 people typically travel through Heathrow daily, with the disruption expected to continue throughout the weekend.
The fire at the electrical substation in Hayes broke out at around 11.30pm on Thursday night.
London Fire Brigade deployed approximately 70 firefighters and 10 fire engines to battle the blaze on Nestle Avenue.
The inferno has also caused widespread power outages beyond the airport. More than 16,300 homes in the area are facing blackouts due to the fire.
