Fire breaks out at Stansted Airport with passengers forced to evacuate and flights delayed

Passengers were then evacuated to the departure lounge as a precaution - and barred from going through security.

Large amounts of smoke poured through the building, leaving teams battling to clear it quickly before the Airport Fire Service extinguished the blaze.

A statement from the airport shortly before 7am said: "Following the fire in our escape lounge earlier this morning, the departure lounge is now open and passengers are being processed through security, though waiting times may be longer than usual in the circumstances.

"Flights were not suspended and both departures and arrivals are operating.

"Some flights may be subject to delays and passengers are advised to check with their airlines."

An earlier statement said: "Health and safety will always be our number one priority and we thank passengers for their understanding."

Photos on social media showed queues of hundreds of travellers jam-packed in departures waiting to pass through security.

In a further addition to the travel chaos, CrossCountry trains announced this morning that "all lines are blocked" due to a "fault with the signalling system at Stansted Airport".

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According to National Rail, no trains to or from the airport are expected until 8am at the earliest.

One angry passenger fumed online that they were travelling to Nottingham Forest's first game in Europe for 30 years, and now fear they may miss out.

Forest are set to play Spanish side Real Betis in the UEFA Europa League in Seville this evening.

Stansted is London's third-busiest airport, and last year recorded it's busiest day ever with 107,000 passengers passing through on October 27 2024.

In March, Heathrow Airport, the UK's busiest, ground to a halt after a huge fire broke out at a nearby electric substation.

At least 1,350 flights were disrupted by the blaze, and it caused economic harm to the country as tourists were affected.