Heathrow Airport experienced disruption today after a man was arrested following an incident involving the deployment of pepper spray in a multi-storey car park, leading to delays for travellers and a temporary closure of the facility. Emergency services responded to the scene, and while flights remained unaffected, access to the car park was restricted for over two hours, impacting passengers retrieving vehicles and flight crews awaiting transport.
The incident,which occurred at Heathrow Terminal 3,began around 10:45 GMT. While the cause remains under investigation, police confirmed a man was taken into custody. The disruption primarily affected car park users, with entrances closed and queues forming as emergency responders followed established protocols. Despite the inconvenience, those impacted expressed a pragmatic outlook. “If this is the worst it gets, we’re doing alright,” remarked a member of flight crew arriving from Bengaluru, India, after a ten-hour journey, whose staff transport was delayed.Airline staff confirmed flights continued to operate as scheduled, with departure boards showing no disruptions. However, the car park’s reopening did not instantly alleviate congestion as those delayed sought to retrieve their vehicles. Heathrow Airport serves over 80 million passengers annually, making even localized incidents perhaps impactful. Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the pepper spray deployment and assessing the full extent of the disruption.
