Luton Airport fire – live: Flights suspended for most of day as 40,000 passengers affected

Up to 40,000 passengers have been affected by flight cancellations after a large fire broke out at one of London’s Luton Airport’s car parks.

The airport has now suspended all flights until at least 3pm, as firefighters remain at the site of blaze that broke out just before 9pm.

The newly-built car park building at the airport’s Terminal 2 has partially collapsed, the Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said. It was not known if any passengers were trapped on the tarmac, inside the airport or in the Terminal 2 car park.

The fire service said it was called to the incident just before 9pm and over 10 fire engines were at the scene. It added that 80 per cent of one of the car park’s third floors was impacted by the blaze.

Up to 1,200 vehicles may have been in the car park at the time of the fire and subsequently damaged.

In a statement posted to X on Wednesday morning the airport added: “Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport at this time as access remains severely restricted.”

Key Points

• All flight services at Luton Airport cancelled till 3pm today

• 40,000 passengers affected at Luton

• Five injured as massive fire engulfs Luton Airport

• How does Luton Airport fire affect passengers?

• About 1,200 vehicles damaged in airport fire

40,000 passengers affected at Luton

08:36 , Athena Stavrou

The number of passengers affected is thought to be around 40,000, Simon Calder reports.

Luton Airport have suspended all flights until 3pm, the airport said in a statement on X.

Emergency services are still at the site of the blaze, which began at 9pm last night in newly built Terminal 2 car park.

It was not known if any passengers were trapped on the tarmac, inside the airport or in the car park, but 1,200 vehicles are thought to be damaged.

04:08 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live blog where we bring you the latest updates from the fire at Luton Airport.

Firefighters among five injured as fire engulfs Luton Airport

04:21 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Firefighters and an airline official have been taken to hospital as emergency services battle a blaze that broke out at Luton Airport just before 9pm on Tuesday.

Footage posted on social media showed flames and smoke tearing through cars parked at the airport terminal.

Vehicle alarms and loud explosions could be heard, with one witness saying the speed in which the blaze tore through the upper floor of the car park was “incredible”.

Joe Middleton reports.

Flights suspended at Luton Airport after fire engulfs car park

All fights cancelled till 12pm Wednesday

04:34 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

All flight services have been temporarily cancelled after a massive fire broke out in Terminal Cark Park 2 that resulted in the partial collapse of the structure.

"All flights are suspended until 12pm on Wednesday," the airport said in an update on social media X.

It advised passengers to not travel to the airport at this time due to restricted access.

In pics | Emergency services respond to a fire at Luton Airport

04:44 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Fire services still battling Luton Airport blaze

04:58 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Firefighters are still battling to extinguish the blaze at Luton Airport, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service has said in an update.

The fire broke out at the newly-built car park building at Luton’s Terminal 2 just before 9pm on Tuesday.

At least 10 fire engines and over 100 firefighters were pressed into action to bring the fire under control, it said.“We are continuing to protect surrounding airport infrastructure, vehicles and the Luton DART,” it said in a statement.

According to the authorities, about 1,200 vehicles may have been in the car park at the time of the fire and subsequently damaged.

‘Cars going up in flames’: Witness shares what he saw at Luton Airport

05:12 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Russell Taylor, 41, an account director from Kinross in Scotland, saw the flames after flying in to Luton Airport from Edinburgh.

“There were a couple of fire engines with a car ablaze on the upper floor of the car park at just after 9pm,” he told PA news agency.

“A few minutes later most of the upper floor was alight, car alarms were going off with loud explosions from cars going up in flames.

“The speed in which the fire took hold was incredible.”

Simon Calder: How does Luton Airport fire affect passengers?

05:20 , Simon Calder

The airport is saying: “Emergency services continue to respond to a significant fire in Terminal Car Park 2, which has resulted in partial structural collapse.

“All flights are suspended until 12pm on Wednesday 11 October, please contact your airline for the latest flight information.

“Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport at this time, as access remains severely restricted.”

What’s the effect on flights?

Twenty-three incoming flights were diverted on Tuesday night and in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Passengers arrived as far away as Liverpool, Manchester, Cardiff and Bristol late at night.

Ten outbound departures were cancelled on Tuesday evening, including flights which had already been boarded.

On Wednesday morning, 85 planes are due to depart by 12 noon when the airport may re-open. With the inbound cancellations, that means a total of 170 flights – with an estimated 27,000 passengers booked. Adding in last night’s cancelled and diverted flights and that’s about 30,000 passengers.

Even if the airport is able to reopen at noon, more travellers likely to be affected due to knock-on effects from the closure.

What happens to those people?

Under European air passengers’ rights rules they are entitled to alternative flights and hotel stays as necessary, but such is the scale of this that it’s likely many people will need to try to find alternative flights and claim back the cash.

Presumably some people will come back and find their car has gone up in smoke?

Yes. The airport says: “For passengers who have queries regarding a parked vehicle or future booking please contact luton.customerservices@apcoa.com.”

Hotels around Luton Airport fully booked as passengers forced to cancel tickets

05:39 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Hotels around Luton Airport were fully booked as passengers were forced to cancel their tickets last minute following a massive blaze at the car park.

“Got last three rooms in Ibis hotel, we were lucky, there are so many can’t get into any hotels. Staff at Luton very helpful,” wrote a passenger on social media X.

Firefighters taken to hospital after fire at Luton Airport

05:48 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Firefighters and an airline official have been taken to hospital as emergency services battle a blaze that broke out at Luton Airport just before 9pm on Tuesday.

Five people have been admitted to Luton and Dunstable hospitals for smoke inhalation.

A sixth person was treated at the scene but did not require further medical treatment.

More here.

Firefighters taken to hospital after fire at Luton Airport

Passengers told to ‘get off the flight’ amid fire at Luton Airport

05:59 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Passengers on board a plane that was due to take off were asked to “get off the flight” after a massive fire erupted at the Luton Airport last night just before 9pm.

“We were all just told to get off the flight, that there was an incident and then we were left in the airport with no proper explanation,” an unnamed passenger was quoted by the BBC as saying.

The passengers were informed two hours later that there had been a major incident and they would need to leave the airport.

“It was all a little bit confusing because I don’t think the staff knew exactly what they were supposed to be doing.”

Another passenger told the broadcaster that “some of us were very frightened because we’d travelled by ourselves” and “didn’t have anywhere to go”.

In pics | Emergency services battle blaze at Luton Airport

06:09 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Simon Calder: How does Luton Airport fire affect passengers?

06:16 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Flights have been suspended at London’s Luton Airport after “a significant fire” broke out at a terminal car park, and passengers have been told to not go to the airport at this time.

Twenty-three incoming flights were diverted on Tuesday night and in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Passengers ended up at airports as far away as Liverpool, Manchester, Cardiff and Bristol late at night.

Ten outbound departures were cancelled on Tuesday evening, including flights that had already been boarded.

About 30,000 passengers have been impacted, adding in last night’s cancelled and diverted flights.

Simon Calder has more.

Simon Calder: How does Luton Airport fire affect passengers?

Bus service at Luton Airport suspended due to fire

06:26 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Buses were unable to serve the Luton Airport terminal following a fire at the multi-storey car park at the airport, Arriva Beds and Bucks said.

“All services are unable to serve the airport terminal,” it said in a social media post this morning.

“Services A and 100 are operating up to Vauxhall, terminating at Luton bound stop on Kimpton Rd.”

‘Significant structural collapse’ of car park at Luton Airport

06:42 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The multi-storey car park at Terminal 2 of Luton Airport suffered significant structural collapse following a massive fire that erupted just before 9pm last night.

Upto 1,200 vehicles were in the car park at the time of the fire and subsequently damaged, according to the fire services.

“One half of the structure is fully involved in fire and the building has suffered a significant structural collapse,” a spokesperson for Bedfordshire Fire Service told PA news agency.

“Fire crews are working to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading to adjacent buildings and vehicles on air side of the airport.”

Passengers wait at Luton Airport after all flights cancelled

06:46 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

How important is Luton airport?

06:49 , Simon Calder

Luton airport is the fifth-busiest airport in the UK, normally with several hundred flights a day across Europe – typically carrying 40,000 passengers daily.

It is the location for easyJet’s headquarters, and a base for many of the flights on Britain’s biggest budget airline.

Luton is the main UK base for Wizz Air, which has many flights to and from destinations mainly in eastern Europe.

Ryanair has a substantial operation, with dozens of flights to destinations in Ireland and Continental Europe.

Flights suspended at Luton Airport after fire engulfs car park

07:06 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Flights have been suspended at Luton Airport because of a large fire that has engulfed one of its car parks.

Footage posted on social media showed flames and smoke tearing through cars parked at the airport terminal on Tuesday evening.

Vehicle alarms and loud explosions could be heard, with one witness saying the speed in which the blaze tore through the upper floor of the car park was “incredible”.

Joe Middleton reports.

Flights suspended at Luton Airport after fire engulfs car park

Watch | Fire engulfs Luton Airport car park as all flights suspended

07:15 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

All flights to and from Luton Airport cancelled till 3pm today

07:22 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

All flight services to and from Luton Airport have been cancelled till 3pm on Wednesday after a massive fire broke out in Terminal Cark Park 2 that resulted in the partial collapse of the structure.

“Emergency services remain on the scene following last night’s fire in Terminal Car Park 2,” the airport said in an update this morning.

It advised passengers to not travel to the airport at this time due to restricted access.

How does Luton Airport fire affect passengers?

07:38 , Athena Stavrou

As flights are cancelled until 3pm today, Simon Calder looks at how the Luton Airport fire affects passengers:

Simon Calder: How does Luton Airport fire affect passengers?

1,200 vehicles believed to be in car park at time of blaze

07:54 , Athena Stavrou

Up to 1,200 vehicles may have been in the car park at the time of the fire and ‘subsequently damaged’, fire service say.

In their latest update on the blaze Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Firefighting operations were undertaken to control the blaze and protect nearby buildings, vehicles, aircraft, and the Luton DART.”

They added: “It is believed that up to 1,200 vehicles may have been in the car park at the time of the fire and subsequently damaged.”

Simon Calder reports from a ‘silent' Luton airport

08:03 , Simon Calder

Normally the first wave of flights would be departing from Luton airport for destinations across the UK, Ireland and Continental Europe.

The three biggest budget airlines in Europe – easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air – have substantial operations at Luton, which is one of the five busiest airports in the UK.

But no flights have arrived or departed since around 9pm on Tuesday night – after a severe fire broke out in a car park just 200m from the passenger terminal and adjacent to the main access road.

Firefighters have put out the blaze during the night, and work is now going on to drain the water used in dousing the flames.

The terminal area is completely closed to traffic, and the Dart shuttle from the nearby Luton Airport Parkway rail station has been suspended.

Some airport staff have walked into work, but for operations to restart at 3pm – as currently hoped – will require considerable coordination. Flight crew, aircraft and passengers are all out of position, and anyone booked to fly to or from Luton on Wednesday will face disruption.

Over 100 firefighters tackled blaze

08:44 , Athena Stavrou

Over 100 firefighters tackled the car park blaze at Luton Airport, fire chief says.

He added that at the peak of the fire, firefighters used 15 fire appliances to battle the blaze, which caused the new Terminal 2 car park to collapse.

Andrew Hopkinson, chief fire officer for Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “At its peak we had 15 fire appliances, over 100 firefighters and a number of specialist resources including the one you will see over my right-hand shoulder, with resources provided by neighbouring fire and rescue services.”

He added that the car park as a capacity of just over 1,900 cars and that they estimate up to 1,500 cars have been affected.

Watch: Video shows flames engulfing terminal car park

08:59 , Athena Stavrou

Footage shows flames raging from a fire that broke out at London’s Luton Airport on Tuesday evening (10 October).

All flight operations have been suspended at the airport after the blaze engulfed one of its car park buildings.

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service have said the newly-built car park, at Terminal 2, has partially collapsed.

Video shows flames engulfing Luton airport terminal car park as flights suspended

Between 40,000 and 50,000 passengers are out of position as a result of the closure of Luton airport.

09:26 , Athena Stavrou

Around 273 flights have been either diverted, suspended or cancelled as a result of the fire at a London Luton Airport car park.

Simon Calder reports that, assuming 160 passengers were due to fly on each plane, 44,000 passengers are thought to be affected.

Ten outbound flights were cancelled on Tuesday night after being boarded and 23 inbound flights were diverted.

There were 120 flights due to depare from the airport before 3pm today, as well as 120 corresponding inbound flights.

The Luton airport blaze is out, so why aren’t flights already taking off and landing?

09:30 , Athena Stavrou

The reason: a temporary water main is blocking the main access road.

Andrew Hopkinson, chief fire officer for Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, told Simon Calder at The Independent: “We’ve had to do is close a number of roads in the surrounding areas in order to lay a temporary water main to supplement the on-site water supplies.

“We’re keen to get that released.

“It’s really about the access and egress of travellers getting to and from the airport. The flights can probably start to resume and I know the airport are working with the airlines to get things back up and running.

“But really, it’s about getting the travellers to and from that’s causing, you know, the delays at this time.”

Fire “controlled and extinguished"

09:37 , Athena Stavrou

The blaze at London Luton’s Terminal 2 car park has been “controlled and extinguished”, fire service says.

In a post on X, the Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Crews have controlled and extinguished the fire at Luton Airport. Four crews and an aerial appliance remain at the scene. All flights are suspended until 3pm.

“If you have a flight leaving before 3pm, please do not travel. Please avoid the area owing to severe traffic delays.”

Local residents hear ‘explosions’ as car park collapsed

09:51 , Athena Stavrou

Local Luton residents have shared the “terrifying” sight of the airport car park as it burnt down.

A 19-year-old Luton resident, who lives close to the car park, told deputy travel editor Benjamin Parker:“It was terrifying.

“We saw multiple stages of the car park collapsing and there were constant loud popping sounds from what I suspect were car tyres exploding, and probably the cars too.

“A few times when a large section of the building went down, a huge cloud of smoke – almost like a mushroom cloud – would form. It was crazy”

Cause of fire confirmed

10:12 , Athena Stavrou

The cause of the huge blaze at London’s Luton Airport has been named as a diesel powered vehicle.

“We have no intelligence at this stage to suggest that this was anything other than an accidental fire that started in one of the vehicles that had not long arrived at the airport. It was not an EV,” Andrew Hopkinson, chief fire officer for Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service told reporters on Wednesday morning, The Mirror reported.

He added: “This was a diesel powered vehicle.”

Luton airport on course to reopen at 3pm

10:25 , Simon Calder

Officials have confirmed to The Independent that arrivals and departures will resume at Luton airport at 3pm. By that stage 120 outbound flights are likely to have been cancelled – though some airlines may hold earlier flights to depart after operations start up.

Access for passengers and staff remains difficult, with the entire central area at Luton airport cordoned off.It is not clear when passengers will be allowed through to begin formalities.

A temporary drop-off zone will be installed at the mid-term car park, close to the Holiday Inn Express, a 10-minute walk from the airport terminal. Buses may provide a shuttle service.

The Independent understands that airlines such as Ryanair and Wizz Air will despatch aircraft to Luton ahead of the 3pm reopening.

No sprinklers in car park

10:59 , Athena Stavrou

There were no sprinklers in the Luton Airport car park that collapsed due to a huge blaze, fire chief says..

Andrew Hopkinson, chief fire officer for Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service told reporters at the scene: “We are already talking to the airport about ensuring that any future, and the existing, car parks have sprinklers fitted because this building is not sprinkler protected.”

He added: “Sprinklers may have made a positive impact on this incident.”

Ramp to be put in place for exit route

11:11 , Athena Stavrou

A ramp is currently being installed in the collapsed car park to allow safe exit for undamaged cars.

Andrew Hopkinson, chief fire officer for Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said the fire at Luton Airport has been “stood down from a major incident”.

He told reporters at the scene that a ramp is being installed “into the unaffected car park because the normal exit route is not safe to take vehicles out”.

He went on: “We’ve currently got four fire appliances and a couple of other specialist crews but we are very much focused on getting a handover and getting this airport open as quickly as we can.”

He said there are “just shy of 1,500” vehicles in the affected car park.

He added: “There is a substantial number that are not damaged and our focus as well is can we remove those vehicles safely without causing any danger to the responders?”

Today: Ask Simon Calder anything as Luton Airport fire disrupts journeys for 30,000 passengers

11:30 , Athena Stavrou

The Independent’s travel expert Simon Calder will be answering your questions live from Luton Airport at 2pm today.

Ask Simon Calder anything as Luton Airport fire disrupts journeys

Tourists sleep on the floor amid cancellation chaos

11:55 , Athena Stavrou

A Polish family who came on holiday to London have told how they slept on the floor at Luton Airport after a fire at a multi-storey car park caused flight cancellations.

Gregorz Szmit, 46, said their flight to Gdansk should have departed at 9.50pm on Tuesday and is now scheduled to leave at 7.30pm on Wednesday.

Mr Szmit, speaking from the terminal building where he is waiting with his wife and their two sons aged seven and 15, said: “We were on holiday for five days to visit London – British Museum, Trafalgar Square. This is difficult, I must say.”

He added:“This is our first journey to England, to London. It’s been an adventure.”

Ambulance Service releases statement

12:10 , Athena Stavrou

It went on: “We assessed five people suffering from smoke inhalation at the scene.

“Three firefighters and one member of airport staff were transported to Luton and Dunstable Hospital.

“One firefighter was discharged at the scene.”

In relation to the Luton Airport car park fire, East of England Ambulance Service said in a statement it sent two ambulances, seven hazardous area response team vehicles and ambulance officer vehicles to the scene of the Luton Airport fire.

Brand-new car park ‘may need to be demolished’

12:43 , Simon Calder

The fire inside the car park at the heart of Luton airport was so intense that the whole structure may need to be demolished – with up to 1,500 vehicles still inside it.

A senior fire officer has told The Independent that the extreme temperatures during the blaze will have weakened the multi-storey car park so much that attempting to recover vehicles could be deemed too dangerous.

“They’ll probably fly a drone around to assess the damage,” they said.

“But once steel gets above 600 degrees [C] it become brittle. It was a lot more than 600 degrees in there.”

Some vehicles appear undamaged and were some distance from the worst of the fire damage. But if a decision is taken to demolish the structure they will be lost.

Demolition itself will prove extremely complex due to the car park’s proximity to one of the busiest airport terminals in the UK, together with the main access road and live aircraft taxiways.

Airlines release statements after car park inferno

13:15 , Athena Stavrou

Major airlines EasyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air have all released statements on Wednesday afternoon ahead of Luton Airport’s attempts to reopen.

An EasyJet spokesperson said their flights were “currently unable to operate as planned” and say they are doing “all possible” to minimise the impact on customers.

Meanwhile, Ryanair say that affected passenfers will be advised via email, Push and SMS as soon as possible but “regret to advise passengers of possible delays or cancellations on flights to/from Luton.”

Wizz Air similarly told customers that they would be provided updates on their flight via email and SMS and apologised for the situation that was “beyond our control”.

Flights are expected to begin departing from Luton Airport at 3pm today.

First passengers re-entering airport

13:17 , Athena Stavrou

Luton Airport said it expects flights to resume at 3pm and passengers are now re-entering the terminal.

They said in a statement: “Following last night’s car fire in Terminal Car Park 2, emergency services have now downgraded the incident but remain on the scene as a precaution.

“The teams have worked hard to get the airport operational, with the first passengers now re-entering the terminal and the first flights expected to depart from 3pm.

“For those arriving by car, the long and mid-stay car parks are fully operational, and a temporary drop-off area has been established in the mid-stay car park.

“For those travelling to the airport by rail, the Dart shuttle remains out of service with replacement buses in operation.

“Additional staff remain on hand to assist passengers across the airport.”

No room at the (Holiday) Inn – or any other hotels in the Luton area

13:40 , Athena Stavrou

Airport hotels in the Luton area are reportedly fully booked as passengers remain unceratin of their travel plans.

The Luton Airport Holiday Inn had this sign posted on their door.

Proposed strike cancelled after fire

14:00 , Athena Stavrou

A planned strike by cleaners and parking attendants at Luton Airport has been suspended because of the fire which has halted flights.

Members of Unite employed by a cleaning contractor were due walk out for five days from Saturday, while parking attendants were due to strike for a week from Friday.

Tens of thousands of airline passengers suffered disruption on Wednesday, with Luton Airport closed after a vehicle fire caused a car park to collapse.

Woman forced to leave airport without her car

14:21 , Athena Stavrou

A woman whose car is stuck in a car park at Luton Airport has told how she saw a fire take hold in a multi-storey soon after her flight landed.

Cristina Cristea, 25, had been at her sister’s wedding in Romania and landed back at Luton at around 8pm on Tuesday, hearing sirens afterwards.

“By the time we came out of the airport it was 9.10pm and we heard more noises and saw flames,” said Ms Cristea, of Towcester, Northamptonshire. She said her car is stuck in terminal car park one, next to car park two where the fire broke out.

Ms Cristea, who has two jobs at a dry cleaners and at a restaurant, said she had missed a day of work and was told around lunchtime that no cars would be able to come out of the car park for the next three hours.

“At first we thought it was shotguns or something as we couldn’t see any flames, then we saw what happened,” she said.

“Slowly, slowly they blocked all the access.” She said she paid to stay in a local hotel overnight. Speaking from a grass bank in view of the car park on Wednesday, she said: “Thank God our car isn’t affected.”

Workers are constructing a new exit ramp to get cars out.

Watch: First flames of car park inferno

14:45 , Athena Stavrou

An alleged video of the Luton Airport car park fire from inside the building has surfaced.

Originally posted to Instagram, the footage appears to show flames engulfing cars hours before the structure partially collapsed.

Watch below:

Insurance industry issues advice to drivers affected by fire

15:04 , Athena Stavrou

In a statement on the Luton Airport car park fire, a spokesman for the Association of British Insurers said: “Owners of vehicles caught up in this fire will naturally be very concerned. Comprehensive and third-party fire and theft motor insurance policies will cover fire damage.

“Drivers affected should notify any claim to their motor insurer. We will continue to work with our members and Luton Airport to understand the situation, as and when more information becomes available.”

They went on to say that it is “too early to estimate the insured cost of the fire,” and added that “Some travel polices may offer limited cover for delays or any abandonment of travel.”

Flights resume but tens of thousands affected

15:44 , Athena Stavrou

Luton Airport has reopened after a vehicle fire caused a car park to collapse, sparking disruption for tens of thousands of passengers.

The Bedfordshire airport suspended flights from when the fire happened at around 9pm on Tuesday until 3pm on Wednesday.

It’s thought that at least 150 flights were cancelled, with almost 30 more diverted to cities as far as Cardiff or Manchester.

Airlines including EasyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air have all issued statements apologising for the ongoing disruption that was “beyond our control”.

Luton airport passenger flights resume – first in and out both on Ryanair

15:51 , Simon Calder

The first passenger flight to leave Luton airport for over 18 hours took off shortly before 3.30pm. The Ryanair aircraft was the delayed 1pm from the Bedfordshire airport to Cork.

More than 200 flights have been grounded as a result of the serious fire in a car park adjacent to the main access road and close to the passenger terminal at one of the UK’s five busiest airports.

Britain’s biggest budget airline, easyJet, has made more than 100 flight cancellations due to the prolonged closure of the airport. The carrier will operate only 19 Luton flights today, barely 15 per cent of its planned schedule.

The first arrival, also on Ryanair, is expected to arrive from Barcelona shortly before 4pm.

London Luton issue update as airport reopens

16:25 , Athena Stavrou

London’s Luton Airport has issued a statement as flights resume after an 18-hour hiatus.

In a post on X, formerly twitter, the airport said the “runway is now open, and flights are beginning to arrive and depart”.

Reminder: Cause of inferno named as diesel car

16:45 , Athena Stavrou

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service revealed on Wednesday morning the cause of the blaze was a diesel car.

“We don’t believe it was an electric vehicle,” Andrew Hopkinson, chief fire officer for Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said.

“It’s believed to be diesel-powered, at this stage all subject to verification. And then that fire has quickly and rapidly spread.”

Read more below:

Cause of Luton Airport car park inferno revealed

Simon Calder issues advice on Luton Airport fire chaos - from travel insurance to flight compensation

17:30 , Joe Middleton

Simon Calder tackles a wide range of your questions - from what you can be compensated for and what to do if you’re stranded and your flight is cancelled

Luton Airport fire: Simon Calder’s insurance and compensation advice

Flights return to Luton airport after dramatic car park fire

18:19 , Joe Middleton

British Airways flight to Tel Aviv returns to Heathrow as BA and Virgin Atlantic suspend flights

19:15 , Joe Middleton

British Airways‘ flight from London Heathrow to Tel Aviv is returning to the UK after a decision not to land at Israel’s main airport. The Airbus A350 had flown almost all of its 2,233-mile journey before turning around.

BA has now suspended flights on the route until further notice, as has Virgin Atlantic.

A spokesperson for British Airways said: “Safety is always our highest priority and following the latest assessment of the situation we’re suspending our flights to and from Tel Aviv.

British Airways flight to Tel Aviv returns to London as BA and Virgin suspend flights

Fire chief says lessons must be learnt from car park blaze at Luton airport

20:15 , Joe Middleton

Luton Airport fire: Cause of car park inferno that damaged 1,500 vehicles revealed

21:22 , Joe Middleton

The cause of a huge blaze at London’s Luton Airport that damaged up to 1,500 cars and sparked travel chaos has been revealed.

More than 100 firefighters battled through the night to extinguish the car park inferno, which left tens of thousands of passengers facing cancelled or diverted flights.

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service revealed on Wednesday morning the cause of the blaze was a diesel car.

Cause of Luton Airport car park inferno revealed