LONDON, March 21 (Reuters) – Flights at London’s Heathrow Airport resumed late on Friday after a massive fire knocked out power, forcing the closure of Europe’s busiest airport for an entire day. The disruption stranded tens of thousands of passengers and caused widespread travel chaos across the globe.
The blaze, which broke out at a substation near the airport on Thursday night, led authorities to completely shut down operations. Heathrow officials urged travelers to stay away while emergency teams worked tirelessly to restore power and resume flights.
Major Disruptions and Flight Cancellations
Heathrow had been scheduled to handle 1,351 flights on Friday, accommodating up to 291,000 passengers. However, the sudden shutdown forced planes to be diverted to alternative airports across Britain and Europe. Many long-haul flights were even forced to return to their original departure points.
While limited operations resumed on Friday, Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye acknowledged the significant impact on travelers. “By tomorrow morning, we expect to be back to full operations,” he said. “We sincerely apologize to everyone affected – we deeply regret the inconvenience caused.”
Cause and Investigation
Authorities do not currently suspect foul play, though investigations into the fire remain ongoing. The London Fire Brigade has indicated that inquiries will focus on the electrical distribution system.
Despite safety protocols being followed, many are questioning how such a critical failure occurred at one of the world’s busiest airports. Some airline executives voiced frustration over Heathrow’s infrastructure, noting the financial toll could reach tens of millions of pounds.
“You would expect a major airport like Heathrow to have significant backup power systems,” said an executive from a leading European airline. Heathrow’s Woldbye, however, defended the airport’s contingency plans. “Our backup systems functioned as designed, but there are certain large-scale disruptions that we simply cannot fully safeguard against.”
Airline Chaos and Passenger Struggles
The disruption affected major airlines including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, JetBlue, American Airlines, Air Canada, Air India, Delta, Qantas, and United Airlines. Many flights were rerouted mid-air or canceled outright.
British Airways CEO Sean Doyle said the airline was working to reposition aircraft and crew to restore operations. “Unfortunately, this will have a ripple effect over the coming days, impacting customers across our network,” he said.
To ease congestion, Britain’s Department for Transport temporarily lifted restrictions on overnight flights. Meanwhile, passengers scrambled to rebook flights, with some forced to stay in London for extended periods. Hotel prices around Heathrow skyrocketed, with some rooms listed at £500 ($645) – nearly five times the usual rates.
A Wake-Up Call for Heathrow
The fire has sparked a broader debate about Heathrow’s resilience. The airport has suffered multiple outages in recent years, including an automated gate failure and an air traffic system meltdown in 2023.
Philip Ingram, a former British military intelligence officer, called the incident a stark warning. “A single power substation failure should not be able to take down Heathrow entirely,” he said. “This is a wake-up call for Britain’s critical national infrastructure.”
Willie Walsh, head of the global airline body IATA and a former British Airways chief, criticized Heathrow’s handling of the situation. “Once again, passengers have been let down,” he said.
While Heathrow insists that its backup systems functioned as expected, it acknowledged that running full airport operations on emergency power alone was not feasible. “The energy demand here is equivalent to a small city,” Woldbye said. “We cannot sustain normal operations indefinitely on backup power.”
Government Inquiry Underway
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office confirmed that a full investigation would be conducted into the incident. “There are serious questions that need answering regarding how this happened and what measures can be taken to prevent future occurrences,” a government spokesperson stated.
For now, as Heathrow works to fully restore operations, passengers and airlines alike are left to deal with the fallout of an unprecedented shutdown at one of the world’s most vital travel hubs.
