Luton airport has apologised for the “distress” caused by last week’s massive car park fire, and revealed it is unlikely any vehicles will be salvageable.
Firefighters from Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue were called to the scene after a fire broke out at Terminal Car Park 2 last Tuesday evening (10 October), halting arrivals and departures.
Dozens of flights were affected on Wednesday (11 October), although services were able to resume at around 3pm. However, Luton warned there would likely be significant knock-on disruption as a result of the closure.
At the time, chief fire officer Andrew Hopkinson told the BBC the fire had damaged the car park structure, causing a partial collapse. Almost 1,500 vehicles are understood to have been parked there when the fire broke out.
Addressing those parked at the terminal, an airport spokesperson said: “We appreciate just how stressful the last few days have been and we are sorry we have not been in a position to provide all of the detail you need, but this has been an extremely complex situation.
“Regrettably, it is unlikely any vehicles in the car park will be salvageable, but this is still in the process of being assessed.
“We have provided the Motor Insurers’ Bureau with the registration details of 1,405 vehicles, and they have confirmed the vast majority have now been passed to individual insurers.”
The spokesperson added: “We sincerely apologise for the distress and inconvenience following this incident, and we would like to thank you for your continued patience and understanding."
Airport parking provider Apcoa has responded to almost 16,500 customer queries since the incident.
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue said an investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing. It has previously stated the vehicle that initially caught fire was a diesel car.
More than 100 firefighters from Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue and neighbouring fire services were in attendance at the height of the blaze.
Three firefighters and a member of airport staff were taken to hospital suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation on Tuesday. Another firefighter was treated at the scene by paramedics.
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