Heathrow Airport, one of the world’s busiest air hubs, resumed full operations on Saturday after a fire at an electrical substation halted flights for most of Friday. The power outage affected tens of thousands of homes and disrupted global travel.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the fire, with police ruling out foul play. Heathrow’s CEO, Thomas Woldbye, said that while the airport had backup systems in place, they were insufficient to keep the entire facility running during the power outage.
The disruption resulted in over 1,000 flights being diverted and affecting around a quarter of a million people. British Airways, which operates most flights at Heathrow, has warned that delays are likely and some high-frequency routes will be cancelled. The airline expects about 85% of scheduled flights to operate on Saturday, but significant disruptions are expected in the coming days.
The power outage raises questions about Britain’s infrastructure, with critics arguing that critical systems should have alternative power sources. Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association, has criticized Heathrow for its failure to prepare for such an eventuality.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/22/world/europe/heathrow-airport-flights.html