A major fire near London’s Heathrow Airport triggered a widespread power outage, forcing the temporary closure of one of the world’s busiest flight hubs. Hundreds of flights were canceled or rerouted, leaving tens of thousands of travelers stranded, with disruptions expected to last for days.
Heathrow officials confirmed that the airport would remain closed until midnight, but warned that “significant delays would continue in the coming days.” The incident has raised serious concerns about the resilience of Britain’s largest airport, as the fire broke out at a key electricity substation, exposing its heavy reliance on a single power source.
Investigation Underway
Authorities are still determining the cause of the fire. “There is no suggestion of foul play at this time, but we don’t yet fully understand what caused the fire,” said Ed Miliband, Britain’s energy secretary. However, later in the day, London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed that counterterrorism specialists were leading the investigation due to the fire’s impact on critical infrastructure.
The outage also knocked out at least one backup generator, further delaying power restoration efforts. The failure to swiftly recover from such a crisis is expected to fuel discussions on the reliability of the UK’s infrastructure.
Impact on Travelers
A Heathrow spokesperson urged passengers to stay away, stating, “Passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens.” Aviation data company Cirium estimated that up to 290,000 passengers could be affected.
With around 80 airlines operating at Heathrow, major carriers scrambled to reroute flights to alternate airports in the UK and Europe. British Airways, the hardest hit, had about 340 flights scheduled to land at Heathrow on Friday, according to Flightradar24.
The Scene at Heathrow
The usually bustling airport was eerily empty. Emergency vehicles lined the terminals as airport staff turned away travelers. Digital flight screens went blank, passageways were dimly lit by emergency lighting, and escalators stood still, painting an unusual picture of stillness at one of the world’s busiest transport hubs.
By the Numbers
- Heathrow is the UK’s largest airport, with two runways and four terminals.
- It serves over 230 destinations in 90 countries.
- Last year, it handled 83.9 million passengers and 1.7 million tons of cargo.
With investigations ongoing and flight schedules in disarray, passengers have been advised to check with their airlines for updates.