Garage fire cancels dozens of flights at London’s Luton Airport

LONDON (AP) — Thousands of travelers faced disruption as all flights were suspended on Wednesday at London’s Luton Airport after a fire tore through a newly built parking garage, destroying vehicles and partially collapsing the structure.

Four firefighters and an airport employee were treated in hospitals for smoke inhalation after the fire, which erupted on Tuesday evening.

This image taken from video provided by Molly Bullard, shows a fire that broke out in one of the parking lots at Luton Airport, in Luton, England, Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023. (Molly Bullard via AP)AP

All flights were suspended until at least 3 p.m. on Wednesday, the airport said in a statement, and would-be passengers were asked to stay away because emergency crews were still on the scene.

Luton, about 56 kilometers (35 miles) north of central London, is a hub for easyJet, Ryanair and other budget airlines running flights to destinations in the United Kingdom and Europe.

Some passengers had to wait at the nearby railway station because the airport was closed.

Nikodem Lesiak, a university student trying to return to Poland, said he had spent the night at the station.

“When we got here, we found out Luton is burning and everything is closed, and we were supposed to have our flight at 7:50 today but it was canceled,” he said.

Video posted on social media and on the websites of British news outlets showed police and fire department vehicles gathered outside a multi-story parking structure where the top level was engulfed in flames. The parking garage for Terminal 2 partially collapsed.

In addition to the five people hospitalized, a sixth person was treated at the scene.