Heathrow Airport announced that it was fully operational following a major power outage caused by a fire at an electricity substation. However, delays and cancellations were still expected as the airport worked to clear the backlog of flights. The fire led to widespread travel disruptions, affecting thousands of passengers worldwide and raising concerns about the reliability of critical infrastructure.
The blaze at the substation knocked out power at the airport, forcing its closure for most of Friday. Some flights were able to arrive and depart later in the evening, but the disruption had already caused significant issues for passengers and airlines. According to tracking data, around 1,350 flights were affected by the shutdown, with approximately 120 Heathrow-bound planes forced to divert.
On Saturday morning, an airport spokesperson confirmed that operations had resumed, with staff working to support affected passengers. Hundreds of additional airport personnel were deployed to assist travelers, and extra flights were added to help accommodate an additional 10,000 passengers. Travelers were advised to check with their airlines for the latest updates regarding their flights.
British Airways, one of the primary carriers at Heathrow, stated that it expected to operate around 85 percent of its scheduled flights throughout the day. The airline typically manages approximately 600 arrivals and departures on a Saturday. Due to the scale of the disruption, the recovery process remained complex, and passengers were warned to expect delays.
To ease congestion, authorities temporarily lifted restrictions on overnight flights. On average, Heathrow serves around 230,000 passengers daily and operates connections to approximately 80 countries.
The incident has prompted concerns about Heathrow’s vulnerability to power failures. The airport’s chief executive acknowledged the challenges posed by the outage and expressed pride in the response efforts. The failure of a backup transformer meant that critical systems had to be shut down, significantly impacting operations. While airport officials apologized for the inconvenience, they emphasized the difficulty of safeguarding against such large-scale disruptions.
Government officials have called for an investigation into the cause of the fire, particularly given its proximity to a key piece of national infrastructure. Authorities are examining what led to an incident of this magnitude and whether improvements can be made to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
The investigation into the fire is being led by counter-terrorism officials due to the scale of its impact, although authorities have stated that there is no evidence of foul play. Fire officials also indicated that the blaze appeared to be non-suspicious, with inquiries focusing on the electrical distribution equipment at the substation.
The fire, which broke out on Thursday night, resulted in the evacuation of around 150 people from nearby properties. It also left approximately 100,000 homes without electricity for several hours. As of Saturday morning, smoke was still visible at the site of the fire.
Efforts to fully restore Heathrow’s operations continued, with airlines and airport staff working to minimize delays and assist stranded passengers.
