HEATHROW airport was forced to close after a British Airways (BA) aircraft caught fire shortly after take-off, this morning.
Passengers and crew on the Oslo-bound flight, BA762, were all safely evacuated from the aircraft and noone was injured.
Firefighters from Heathrow fire station assisted Heathrow's own fire service, and two crews from Feltham were standing by.
The incident led to flight cancellations as the northern and the southern runways were closed - both have since reopened and the airport is returning to normal.
The London Fire Brigade said: "Fire crews were called to a fire affecting an aircraft at Heathrow Airport this morning. The Brigade was called at 0839 and the incident was over at 0956. The fire is now out."
The aircraft believed to be an Airbus A319 was expected to be carrying 75 passengers.
BA said: "The BA762, Heathrow to Oslo service, returned to Heathrow shortly after take-off due to a technical fault. The aircraft landed safely and we are currently caring for our customers."
A full investigation will be carried out by the airline. There may be some disruption throughout the day and passengers are advised to check the flight status with their airline before travelling to the airport.
