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| Stansted Airport bus fire: Flights to resume after cancellations | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Flights at Stansted Airport are expected to return to normal after a fire caused all departures to be cancelled on Friday evening. | Flights at Stansted Airport are expected to return to normal after a fire caused all departures to be cancelled on Friday evening. |
| Footage showed black smoke shrouding the terminal building when a shuttle bus burst into flames. | |
| No-one was injured but passengers described an atmosphere of confusion in the aftermath as flight details disappeared from departure boards. | No-one was injured but passengers described an atmosphere of confusion in the aftermath as flight details disappeared from departure boards. |
| Airport bosses have advised passengers to check flights with their airlines. | Airport bosses have advised passengers to check flights with their airlines. |
| The blaze at about 17:00 BST on Friday was caused by an electrical fault and destroyed the bus, which was parked in a waiting area. | The blaze at about 17:00 BST on Friday was caused by an electrical fault and destroyed the bus, which was parked in a waiting area. |
| It caused smoke damage to "much of the front of the terminal building," firefighters said. | |
| Later that evening Stansted Airport tweeted that all flights up until midnight were cancelled and passengers were asked to leave the airport. | Later that evening Stansted Airport tweeted that all flights up until midnight were cancelled and passengers were asked to leave the airport. |
| But several passengers have described chaotic scenes inside the terminal after the fire was extinguished. | But several passengers have described chaotic scenes inside the terminal after the fire was extinguished. |
| BBC journalist Stephen Fottrell was intending to fly to Ireland when he became caught up in the confusion. | BBC journalist Stephen Fottrell was intending to fly to Ireland when he became caught up in the confusion. |
| "Once flights started to be cancelled they disappeared from the screen and we had a bizarre situation where the screens went blank. My flight came up as cancelled for just a couple of minutes and then it disappeared," he said. | "Once flights started to be cancelled they disappeared from the screen and we had a bizarre situation where the screens went blank. My flight came up as cancelled for just a couple of minutes and then it disappeared," he said. |
| "People were going to the airline website checking their flights and all the information had gone from there too." | "People were going to the airline website checking their flights and all the information had gone from there too." |
| Fottrell told BBC 5Live that in 18 years of regularly travelling from UK airports he had "never seen anything like it". | Fottrell told BBC 5Live that in 18 years of regularly travelling from UK airports he had "never seen anything like it". |
| "The level of confusion among people stood out - they just didn't know what was happening," he said. | "The level of confusion among people stood out - they just didn't know what was happening," he said. |
| "It was the usual situation of very few staff on the ground and they were doing their best but they were saying they didn't work for the airlines." | "It was the usual situation of very few staff on the ground and they were doing their best but they were saying they didn't work for the airlines." |
| It was an experience shared by Taylor Fulton-Ward, 18, from Hertfordshire, who was flying to Dublin with her family for the Easter weekend. | It was an experience shared by Taylor Fulton-Ward, 18, from Hertfordshire, who was flying to Dublin with her family for the Easter weekend. |
| She said: "We arrived at the airport and after a lot of waiting we got through security and staff told us all flights were running but delayed. | She said: "We arrived at the airport and after a lot of waiting we got through security and staff told us all flights were running but delayed. |
| "After an hour, our flight disappeared from the board with no communication. We went back through to check in to try and re-book the flight but the crowds were crazy. | "After an hour, our flight disappeared from the board with no communication. We went back through to check in to try and re-book the flight but the crowds were crazy. |
| "Announcements were telling us to leave the building, but the doors were not open - so people began pushing and panicking. | "Announcements were telling us to leave the building, but the doors were not open - so people began pushing and panicking. |
| "The biggest problem was not being able to get out the doors and a lack of communication." | "The biggest problem was not being able to get out the doors and a lack of communication." |
| The airport said it will reopen with "flights expected to operate as normal", although advised passengers to check with their airlines. | The airport said it will reopen with "flights expected to operate as normal", although advised passengers to check with their airlines. |
| However, one of Stansted's biggest carriers, Ryanair, earlier warned that traveller misery may extend into a second day of the Easter weekend. | However, one of Stansted's biggest carriers, Ryanair, earlier warned that traveller misery may extend into a second day of the Easter weekend. |
| Its most recent travel update said: "Unfortunately, further flight delays and cancellations are likely and customers are asked to please monitor this notice which will be updated throughout the day. | Its most recent travel update said: "Unfortunately, further flight delays and cancellations are likely and customers are asked to please monitor this notice which will be updated throughout the day. |
| "We sincerely apologise for any delays or inconvenience caused by these disruptions which are outside of our control." | "We sincerely apologise for any delays or inconvenience caused by these disruptions which are outside of our control." |
| Simon Calder, travel editor for The Independent, estimates that 15,000 travellers and 100 flights - to and from Stansted - were affected by Friday's cancellations. | Simon Calder, travel editor for The Independent, estimates that 15,000 travellers and 100 flights - to and from Stansted - were affected by Friday's cancellations. |
| He told the BBC the problems stemmed from a decision to move people from the smoke-filled check-in area to the air-side zone beyond security. | He told the BBC the problems stemmed from a decision to move people from the smoke-filled check-in area to the air-side zone beyond security. |
| "As a result of that, because they hadn't been screened because they were got there in a hurry, no flights could depart until everyone was re-screened and the air-aide area was swept by security services to make sure no passengers had stayed behind." | "As a result of that, because they hadn't been screened because they were got there in a hurry, no flights could depart until everyone was re-screened and the air-aide area was swept by security services to make sure no passengers had stayed behind." |
| He said the whole process took so long that by 20:00 BST the airport and airlines agreed to shut down for the rest of the evening in the hope of minimising the impact on the following day's flights. | He said the whole process took so long that by 20:00 BST the airport and airlines agreed to shut down for the rest of the evening in the hope of minimising the impact on the following day's flights. |