And other travel news you may have missed.
This week in travel, we’ve uncovered several stories that might have flown under your radar. Among them: Investigators are working to determine the cause of an electrical substation fire that shut down London’s Heathrow Airport; a tourist illegally climbed an ancient temple in Mexico; and an Italian village wants to declare a state of emergency over insects.
Dive into these and more as we examine the latest in travel news.
NO.1
LONDON HEATHROW INVESTIGATES POWER OUTAGE
Last week, travelers in London faced chaos when one of the world’s busiest airports shut down due to an electrical failure caused by a fire at a nearby substation. The incident occurred on Friday, a day when Heathrow was scheduled to handle over 1,300 flights and up to 290,000 passengers. Many flights were forced to turn back to their departure points, while takeoffs were canceled throughout Friday. More than 100 flights were canceled or delayed on Saturday.
The outage has raised concerns about the infrastructure of the world’s fifth-busiest airport. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband announced an investigation into the failure. Additionally, Heathrow stated that Ruth Kelly, an independent board member and former transport minister, will review the airport’s crisis management plan.
NO.2
FLIGHT MAKES EMERGENCY LANDING AFTER FIRE IN OVERHEAD BIN
A fire in the overhead compartment of a Hong Kong Airlines flight caused panic onboard. The flight, carrying 168 passengers and crew members from Hangzhou, China, to Hong Kong, was forced to make an emergency landing in Fujian province after smoke filled the cabin.
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The fire, suspected to have been caused by a power bank, broke out about two hours after takeoff. In a video shared online, the crew is seen extinguishing the fire with water, which dripped onto a seat. The airline has not confirmed the exact cause of the incident.
Lithium batteries, commonly found in power banks, mobile phones, and laptops, can overheat and catch fire on planes. Such incidents have become increasingly common, prompting airlines like Korean Air to ban power banks as a precautionary measure earlier this year.
Related: The Real Reason You Can’t Retrieve Your Phone if It Falls Between Your Airplane Seat
NO.3
ITALIAN TOWN WANTS TO DECLARE EMERGENCY DUE TO MIDGES
The town of Orbetello in Tuscany is appealing to authorities to declare a state of emergency due to an invasion of millions of midges. The bugs, which began swarming three weeks ago, have forced residents to stay indoors. Locals attribute the infestation to the mass die-off of juvenile fish in 2024, which typically feed on midge larvae.
Orbetello, a beach town situated on a lagoon, is a popular tourist destination. Residents fear the infestation will deter visitors and have launched a petition on Change.org titled “Save the Orbetello Lagoon.” The city has allocated $327,000 to address the issue and has formed a permanent commission, though specific plans have not yet been disclosed.
NO.4
TOURIST CLIMBS ANCIENT TEMPLE PYRAMID IN MEXICO
In two separate incidents, tourists climbed the ancient temple of Kukulkán in the archaeological zone of Chichén Itzá, Mexico. In one case, a 38-year-old German tourist attempted to evade authorities by hiding in the pyramid but was eventually escorted down. Video footage shows the crowd booing the man and warning him that climbing the pyramid is prohibited. After he descended, some members of the crowd physically assaulted him, with one person striking him on the head.
Also known as El Castillo, the temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In March, it attracts around 12,000 visitors for the spring equinox, when the “Descent of the Feathered Serpent” phenomenon creates the illusion of a serpent descending the stairs. Climbing the pyramid has been prohibited since 2006 to protect the structure.
NO.5
CRUISE ASKS PASSENGERS TO TURN OFF LIGHTS DUE TO PIRACY THREATS
Passengers aboard Cunard’s luxury Queen Anne cruise ship were advised to take precautions while traveling from Darwin, Australia, to Manila, Philippines. A TikTok user, @lillydapink, shared a video of the announcement, which has garnered 8.9 million views. The announcement stated that the ship would dim its lights and close the deck, while passengers were asked to close their curtains and turn off unnecessary lights.
@lillydapink I didn’t know there were pirates around this area. We are crossing from Darwin to Manila #cruisetok #cunard #fyp ♬ original sound – cruisegypsyuk@lillydapink
The announcement ended with reassurance: “I assure you that measures to prevent any unlikely incident have been well planned, and the likelihood of this happening on a big ship like Queen Anne is absolutely minimal.”
A Cunard representative told Business Insider that there was no specific threat to the ship or its passengers. However, captains may issue precautionary announcements when sailing through certain regions.
The Sulu-Celebes Sea, where the ship was traveling, has seen piracy-related abductions in the past. The last reported attack on a cruise ship occurred in 2009 and was unsuccessful. The threat level in the area was downgraded to low in January this year, with no incidents reported since January 2020.
