LONDON: Heathrow Airport has reopened after a fire at a nearby power substation forced it to shut down for a day, causing massive disruption to thousands of flights and stranding passengers worldwide.
The fire, which broke out Thursday night, engulfed the substation near the airport, halting all operations. Travelers were advised to stay away as the airport worked to resolve the issue. By Friday, Heathrow was scheduled to handle over 1,350 flights, carrying almost 300,000 passengers. However, most flights were diverted to other airports in the UK and Europe, while many long-haul flights were forced to return to their departure points.
Heathrow officials confirmed that operations resumed on a limited basis, with the main goal of relocating aircraft and bringing planes into London. Airport CEO Thomas Woldbye reassured travelers that the airport would return to full capacity by the next morning, stating, “We expect to be back to 100% operation tomorrow. I apologize to those whose travel has been impacted and we are deeply sorry for the inconvenience.”
The fire has raised significant concerns, particularly over the airport’s backup power systems. While Heathrow’s back-up systems operated as expected, the airport admitted that it could not sustain full operations without full power, given its massive energy consumption. Woldbye defended the airport’s response but acknowledged weaknesses in the system.
The closure sparked frustration from airlines, many of which were forced to divert flights. Notable carriers including British Airways, JetBlue, Delta Air Lines, and Air India were affected by the shutdown, with some flights returning to their original departure points. As a result, airline stocks fell in response to the widespread disruption. Sean Doyle, CEO of British Airways, explained, “This will have a significant impact on our customers in the coming days, as we work to realign our operations.”
Passengers who were stranded at Heathrow faced prolonged delays, with many scrambling for alternate travel arrangements. Hotel prices around the airport surged, with rooms being offered for as much as £500, five times their normal rate.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The fire brigade confirmed that 25,000 liters of cooling oil in the substation’s transformer caught fire, which led to the significant disruption. Emergency crews were seen dousing the smoldering transformer with white firefighting foam.
As the investigation continues, there are growing questions about how such an incident could disrupt a critical international hub like Heathrow. Philip Ingram, a former British military intelligence officer, described the incident as a “wake-up call” for the UK’s infrastructure. “Heathrow should not have been brought to a standstill because of one fire,” he said.
In response, the UK’s Transport Minister Heidi Alexander praised the swift action taken by the airport and emergency services. “Heathrow has worked closely with airline operators to implement its resilience plans,” she said.
The fire and its aftermath have raised important questions about Heathrow’s ability to handle such events, prompting calls for a thorough investigation. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson confirmed that an inquiry would be conducted to understand how this critical infrastructure failure occurred and how to prevent it in the future.
As the airport begins to return to normal operations, the full impact of the disruption on travelers and the airline industry is still unfolding, with recovery expected to take several days.
