A Scotland fan from Kirkcaldy is amongst hundreds of fans stuck in Greece after a blaze near Heathrow Airport.
Neil Gordon’s travel plans were upended on Friday morning as Europe’s busiest airport was forced to close after losing power due to a fire at a nearby substation.
The 56-year-old is amongst those having to extend his stay in Greece following Scotland‘s 1-0 victory in last night’s Nations League match.
Neil said he was packing to head for Athens International Airport when he received an email from British Airways.
‘Should be fun and games claiming that all back’
The former Royal Navy officer told The Courier: “I was due to fly on Friday afternoon into London Heathrow.
“I’d got an email from British Airways (BA) to advise the airport was closed until further notice.
“Thankfully, I’d checked my phone before heading for the metro to the airport.
“BA have booked me onto another flight on Sunday.
“I was able to get two further nights at the hotel I’m staying at but that’s set me back a further 250 euros.
“Also additional cost for food and drink for the next two days.
“My car is also at London Heathrow and I was a bit concerned about the extended stay at the car park but it won’t be too costly.
“With it not being the airline’s fault it should be fun and games claiming that all back.
“My holiday insurance might have to cover it.”
‘Others were definitely in worse positions than me’
Neil, who now lives in Gloucester, said that despite the travel issues the atmosphere during Scotland’s win over Greece had been “amazing”.
He added: “I’m certainly trying to look on the bright side.
“The atmosphere at the stadium was great on Thursday night and it’s nice to get a win.
“There was a bit of a delay getting into the stadium.
“Others are definitely in worse positions than me with the flight cancellations as they needed to get back.
“Folk were travelling back via Paris but I’ve seen other Scots fans who have extended their stay in Greece.
“I’ve been on TripAdvisor trying to find things to do to keep me entertained!”
1,400 flights affected by Heathrow Airport closure
Around 1,400 planes were due to land or take off from Heathrow Airport today.
The London travel hub remains closed as counter-terrorism police investigate the cause of the fire.
An airport spokesperson said: “We expect significant disruption over the coming days and passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens.
“We will provide an update when more information on the resumption of operations is available.”
In a statement, British Airways said: “We have had to cancel all short-haul flights that were due to operate to and from the airport today.
“Our teams are currently working hard to review our long-haul schedule as well as the implications for our schedule tomorrow and beyond.
“We will update our customers as soon as possible.”
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