Islamabad, Mar 22, 2025: Flights at Heathrow Airport have gradually resumed following a major fire at a power substation, which led to severe disruptions and a temporary shutdown of one of the world’s busiest aviation hubs.
The sudden closure stranded thousands of passengers, causing global travel delays and significant financial losses for airlines.
Widespread Disruptions After Power Failure
The fire, which broke out late Thursday near the airport, triggered a critical power failure, bringing flight operations to a standstill.
Heathrow’s emergency response teams worked tirelessly to restore power, allowing limited flights to operate on Friday to reposition aircraft and crew.
“We anticipate full operations to resume by tomorrow morning,” said Heathrow’s Chief Executive, Thomas Woldbye. “We deeply regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers.”
During the shutdown, airlines canceled or diverted an estimated 1,351 flights, affecting nearly 291,000 travelers.
They rerouted several flights to other airports across the UK and Europe, while some long-haul services returned to their points of origin.
No Indications of Foul Play
Authorities have ruled out any immediate security threats, though counter-terrorism units are overseeing the investigation due to the infrastructure’s critical nature.
British Transport Minister Heidi Alexander stated that a comprehensive inquiry will be conducted.
“At this point, there is no evidence of foul play, but investigations remain ongoing,” she said.
The London Fire Brigade reported that approximately 25,000 liters of cooling oil in the substation’s transformer ignited, causing extensive damage.
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Firefighters worked through the night to contain the blaze, leaving the site covered in white firefighting foam.
Airlines Suffer Heavy Financial Losses
The aviation industry has been hit hard by the disruption, with airline operators questioning how a single fire could cripple such a crucial transport hub.
“You’d expect Heathrow to have a robust backup power system,” said a senior executive from a European airline.
Heathrow officials defended their response, emphasizing that emergency generators helped land aircraft safely and evacuate passengers.
However, they acknowledged that they could not sustain full operations on backup power alone.
“This incident reveals a vulnerability in our system,” Woldbye admitted. “No infrastructure is completely immune to all possible disruptions.”
Analysts project that the shutdown will cost the airline industry tens of millions of pounds, causing shares of major carriers—including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic—to decline.
Travelers Struggle Amid Chaos
However, Stranded passengers at Heathrow faced uncertainty, scrambling to find alternative travel arrangements. Many expressed frustration over the lack of clear communication.
“It’s been a nightmare,” said Robyn Autry, a traveler bound for New York. “I have no idea how much extra I’ll have to spend to fix this.”
Hotel rates near Heathrow skyrocketed, with some rooms being priced at £500—five times the usual rate—as desperate travelers sought accommodation.
Aviation analysts compared the disruption to the 2010 volcanic ash cloud crisis, which grounded over 100,000 flights across Europe.
The incident has reignited concerns over the resilience of the UK’s transport infrastructure.
Former military intelligence officer Philip Ingram called the event a wake-up call.
He said, “Authorities should never completely shut down Heathrow due to a single power substation failure.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office confirmed that officials would fully investigate how such a significant failure occurred and take measures to prevent future incidents.
