Fire in Rome FCO / Fiumicino airport terminal 3 (06 May 2015)
May 7, 2015, 3:27 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Tel Aviv, Israel
Posts: 11
Fire in Rome FCO / Fiumicino airport terminal 3 (06 May 2015)
I am flying tomorrow, 08/05 thru ROM to MIA with AZ
they haven't confirm anything yet but on 06/05 there was a fire and all activity in the terminal are suspended? does any one know or have more details
they haven't confirm anything yet but on 06/05 there was a fire and all activity in the terminal are suspended? does any one know or have more details
May 7, 2015, 7:06 am
#3
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: NAP
Programs: LH, BA, TK
Posts: 2,409
According ADR this is the operativity:
T1: AZ (Domestic, Schengen/extra Schengen)
T2: U2, FR, VY, 4U, IG, W6
T5: all extra Schengen except AZ
The area, though a transit portion away from gates, is not small (abt 1000 sq.mt).
And several shops have been affected. From one of them (allegedly Bar Gustavo) gave off a short-circuit.
It is in T3 right past the immigration booths, nearby the EK lounge.
T1: AZ (Domestic, Schengen/extra Schengen)
T2: U2, FR, VY, 4U, IG, W6
T5: all extra Schengen except AZ
The area, though a transit portion away from gates, is not small (abt 1000 sq.mt).
And several shops have been affected. From one of them (allegedly Bar Gustavo) gave off a short-circuit.
It is in T3 right past the immigration booths, nearby the EK lounge.
May 7, 2015, 11:02 pm
#4
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: UA, AA, BA, US
Posts: 22
It's chaos at FCO right now. T3 smells of smoke and breathing is not great in there. (Was with media crew there earlier). The terminal s still going through inspection trying to see if certain areas can be made functional or safe for access to the public. The place won't be functional for a few days - but some would say it never was to begin with...
May 8, 2015, 9:08 am
#5
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SFO, VCE
Programs: AA EXP >4 MM, Lifetime Plat
Posts: 2,881
The airport was closed yesterday morning, but reopened and flights resumed at noon. The fire was only in the shopping area of T3, started by an electrical short in a bar. Chaos is the normal response to anything abnormal in Italy, like when there is a strike.
The only flights affected once the airport reopened were T3 flights. T3 is the main international terminal serving European countries outside the Schengen zone and other foreign countries in other continents, but not the USA and Israel, which fly out of T5.
British Airways flies out of T3, and that probably affects a lot of USA travelers who connect at LHR to get back to the US. BA had to cancel 5 of its 8 flights yesterday. Since the fire only damaged the shops and not the gates, T3 has reopened and is operating at 50% capacity, and is expected to be 100% by early next week. Alitalia flyers, the most affected, can get refunded or rebooked, up until May 10th. The airport expects things to be normal by next week.
Not to minimize this, on TV you can see huge flames coming out of the building, and it took five hours to put it out, but I think this will affect a lot of people, but not those flying to or from the USA unless connecting in London. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbMKAAq9FvM
The only flights affected once the airport reopened were T3 flights. T3 is the main international terminal serving European countries outside the Schengen zone and other foreign countries in other continents, but not the USA and Israel, which fly out of T5.
British Airways flies out of T3, and that probably affects a lot of USA travelers who connect at LHR to get back to the US. BA had to cancel 5 of its 8 flights yesterday. Since the fire only damaged the shops and not the gates, T3 has reopened and is operating at 50% capacity, and is expected to be 100% by early next week. Alitalia flyers, the most affected, can get refunded or rebooked, up until May 10th. The airport expects things to be normal by next week.
Not to minimize this, on TV you can see huge flames coming out of the building, and it took five hours to put it out, but I think this will affect a lot of people, but not those flying to or from the USA unless connecting in London. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbMKAAq9FvM
May 8, 2015, 12:42 pm
#7
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SFO, VCE
Programs: AA EXP >4 MM, Lifetime Plat
Posts: 2,881
As for baggage claim, I don't know. In 2005 I gave up on ever checking a bag again after luggage for a vacation at Lake Como didn't show up at MXP until the end of the vacation. Since then, no matter how long I'm staying, even if it's for months, I never check a bag.
I know it may be harder for you with a toddler. I also don't know about immigration as I have an Italian passport, but I expect they are cooperating and doing everything possible to ease the situation.
May 8, 2015, 3:02 pm
#8
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,373
Delta has a warning/waiver posted on their homepage now. You can change dates or reroute for free (with no change fees and no collection of any fare difference) on flights May 8-18, with travel by May 25 (or you pay the fare difference, but still are exempt from the change fee). I assume that you would be permitted to change your destination, perhaps to other Italian airports, if desired, although the announcement isn't very explicit about this.
DL also is advising passengers to arrive at FCO airport THREE HOURS before departure because they apparently anticipate delays in check in, passport control, and security. It sounds like DL lost some of their check in area until things are fixed, which could be a long time.
DL also is advising passengers to arrive at FCO airport THREE HOURS before departure because they apparently anticipate delays in check in, passport control, and security. It sounds like DL lost some of their check in area until things are fixed, which could be a long time.
May 8, 2015, 4:01 pm
#9
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: SEA
Posts: 3,953
It seems as if flights from the US are arriving normally at T3. I just looked at EF for flights to FCO on OneWorld, Star, and Sky alliances. No canceled flights, all landing at T3. No doubt this was a big fire, but it shouldn't be called chaos and panic. It's just traveling, things happen. I know a lot of flights were canceled yesterday and a few today, but that happens just as when Italy has one of its frequent strikes. Things seem to be going OK.
As for baggage claim, I don't know. In 2005 I gave up on ever checking a bag again after luggage for a vacation at Lake Como didn't show up at MXP until the end of the vacation. Since then, no matter how long I'm staying, even if it's for months, I never check a bag.
I know it may be harder for you with a toddler. I also don't know about immigration as I have an Italian passport, but I expect they are cooperating and doing everything possible to ease the situation.
As for baggage claim, I don't know. In 2005 I gave up on ever checking a bag again after luggage for a vacation at Lake Como didn't show up at MXP until the end of the vacation. Since then, no matter how long I'm staying, even if it's for months, I never check a bag.
I know it may be harder for you with a toddler. I also don't know about immigration as I have an Italian passport, but I expect they are cooperating and doing everything possible to ease the situation.
My next trip (November) will actually be into FLR via MAD, so we'll find out if MAD lets us all use the EU line - my daughter and I have Italian passports, my wife has US.
May 8, 2015, 5:58 pm
#10
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: UA, AA, BA, US
Posts: 22
At the current time, FCO is running at 60% and is expected to increase capability in the next few days but does not anticipate having T3 at 100% for at least one week. There was a press release to this effect and I believe they have posted it to their website. This will mostly effect departures.
FCO's parent company Atlantia has hired Belford, a disaster relief company to provide 300 employees to bring the terminal to functionality in a week. This includes air and ventilation systems which were damaged causing some areas to be unusable.
FCO's parent company Atlantia has hired Belford, a disaster relief company to provide 300 employees to bring the terminal to functionality in a week. This includes air and ventilation systems which were damaged causing some areas to be unusable.
May 8, 2015, 10:06 pm
#11
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SFO, VCE
Programs: AA EXP >4 MM, Lifetime Plat
Posts: 2,881
At the current time, FCO is running at 60% and is expected to increase capability in the next few days but does not anticipate having T3 at 100% for at least one week. There was a press release to this effect and I believe they have posted it to their website. This will mostly effect departures.
FCO's parent company Atlantia has hired Belford, a disaster relief company to provide 300 employees to bring the terminal to functionality in a week. This includes air and ventilation systems which were damaged causing some areas to be unusable.
FCO's parent company Atlantia has hired Belford, a disaster relief company to provide 300 employees to bring the terminal to functionality in a week. This includes air and ventilation systems which were damaged causing some areas to be unusable.
May 11, 2015, 4:26 pm
#14
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Ithaca, NY
Programs: AA Platinum
Posts: 147
There is now a proposed strike by FCO employees scheduled for 11 am Rome time for an hour and a half on Tuesday, 12 May 2015.
The unions are citing the dangers of breathing the air in Terminal 3. They say the emergency area in FCO is constantly full of workers in need of care.
Moderators, I do not know where to post this, since a strike surely will affect not only AA/US passengers but anyone going through FCO tomorrow during or after the strike, and maybe even before, since at FCO, they also do slow-downs. I notice the Italy forum does not have much traffic.
Link to the news story in Italian, and I will check back later with English version when I spot it:
http://roma.repubblica.it/cronaca/20...eri-114081789/
The unions are citing the dangers of breathing the air in Terminal 3. They say the emergency area in FCO is constantly full of workers in need of care.
Moderators, I do not know where to post this, since a strike surely will affect not only AA/US passengers but anyone going through FCO tomorrow during or after the strike, and maybe even before, since at FCO, they also do slow-downs. I notice the Italy forum does not have much traffic.
Link to the news story in Italian, and I will check back later with English version when I spot it:
http://roma.repubblica.it/cronaca/20...eri-114081789/
May 11, 2015, 10:52 pm
#15
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: UA, AA, BA, US
Posts: 22
I just got notification that my flight on Friday to LHR is cancelled. I spoke to a BA rep and they have cancelled 3 flights a day this week FCO-LHR. I have to leave a day early in order to catch my connecting flight the next day