LONDON (AP) — British meteorologists said thousands of lightning strikes hit the U. K. during a powerful overnight thunderstorm, and a London-area airport reported…
LONDON (AP) — British meteorologists said thousands of lightning strikes hit the U. K. during a powerful overnight thunderstorm, and a London-area airport reported flight disruptions Sunday after an aircraft refueling system was damaged.
London Stansted Airport said that a lightning strike disabled the fueling system « for a period this morning. Engineers have been on site and have now restored the system, however flights may still be subject to diversion, delay or cancellation. »
More than 200 flights were delayed at Stansted. Another 31 departures and 18 arrivals were cancelled, according to FlightStats, which provides data on commercial aviation.
London-area airports were busier than usual, since Britain is in the middle of a long holiday weekend, and many schoolchildren also have a half-term break this coming week.
Budget airline Ryanair, which has a big presence at Stansted, couldn’t say how many of its flights had been affected at the airport, but was offering full refunds to some.
The Ireland-based airline apologized to those affected, but said the disruptions were beyond the company’s control.
« A number of flights have regrettably been cancelled at Stansted Airport this morning due to an earlier airport fueling system failure, caused by a lightning strike, » a Ryanair spokesman said. « All affected customers are being contacted and advised of their options of a full refund, a free transfer on to the next available flight or a free transfer on to an alternative routing. »
Meteorologist Charlie Powell said information suggested there were « somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 strikes across the U. K. during the overnight period. »
