As I recall, the LHR closure was down to both incidents (one on-runway and on off) requiring the emergency equipment, meaning there was insufficient emergency cover to operate the second runway safely.
ManaAda and A_321, would you feel the same way if it were you who had to make an emergency landing on the remaining runway with insufficient emergency equipment to cover it? Of course, if what you're saying is that LHR should expand its emergency coverage, then that'd make more sense.
Steering back on-topic, I don't think it's a case of the A320 fleet getting "old", it's just that these days there are so many of them that you will get the occasional day where several of them "go tech" for similar reasons!
Last edited by DozyWannabe; 1st Oct 2013 at 13:35.