Mamata’s dep rescheduled due to Heathrow power outage, flight likely this evening

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s departure from Kolkata airport on Saturday morning has been rescheduled due to a power outage at a substation near Heathrow Airport in London.

She was slated to travel to London via Dubai with her entourage on a morning flight but the travel plans have now been altered.

Sources indicate that Banerjee is likely to commence her journey on Saturday evening.

Efforts were underway to facilitate Banerjee’s earliest possible departure, as she was set to attend multiple events in the United Kingdom (UK). Her flight is likely to be rescheduled for around 8:20 pm on Saturday. However, no official confirmation could be received, in this regard, from the state secretariat till late Friday evening. More than 1,300 flights are expected to be affected after Heathrow Airport closed down on Friday due to a substation fire.

On Monday, Banerjee is scheduled to attend a programme by the Indian High Commission. On Tuesday, she is slated to attend a business meeting.

The Chief Minister is also scheduled to deliver a lecture at Oxford on Thursday. Now, with this delay, there may be a little change in Banerjee’s programme in the UK.

She is expected to embark on her return journey on March 28 from London.

The Chief Minister, during her visit to London, will deliver a lecture at Oxford University’s Kellogg College. She had also received invitations from two other prestigious UK institutions—the London School of Economics (LSE) and Queen Mary University’s Mile End Institute.

The LSE earlier this month invited the Bengal CM for an academic session on governance, women’s empowerment, and social development. The invitation, extended by LSE alumnus Diptendu Roy, highlighted the value of her insights for students and faculty.

The institution also expressed flexibility in scheduling the event based on her availability and discussing the impact of her government’s policies, particularly in social welfare and economic development.

The Mile End Institute at Queen Mary University of London also requested Banerjee for a closed-door discussion under ‘Chatham House’ rules.

The session will bring together academics and research students to discuss West Bengal’s women-centric policies, political strategies, and governance model.

The Manchester City Football Club has also extended an invitation to the Chief Minister requesting her to visit their facilities during her trip to the United Kingdom.