A fire at an electrical substation near Heathrow Airport forced the shutdown of Europe’s busiest airport, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. According to a National Grid source, power is expected to return within hours.
The London Fire Brigade reports that the fire is still burning, affecting not only Heathrow’s Terminals 2 and 4 but also leaving 5,000 nearby homes without electricity. Despite counter-terrorism police leading the investigation, the Metropolitan Police have stated there is no current indication of foul play.
Heathrow officials have confirmed that no flights will take off or land today, warning of prolonged disruptions. A source at the airport revealed that back-up generators were activated but were insufficient to power the entire facility. The failure raises “serious questions” about the airport’s emergency preparedness, according to an industry executive.
Nearby hotels and pubs are filled with stranded travelers, many of whom are anxiously waiting for updates. BBC correspondent Rich Preston described the scene, noting the growing frustration among passengers.
Partial Power Restoration at Heathrow
Reports indicate that power has returned to some areas of the airport, specifically Terminal 4. According to PA news agency, an “interim solution” has been implemented by National Grid, allowing affected customers to regain access to electricity.
Despite this partial restoration, Heathrow will remain closed until at least 23:59 GMT today.
British Airways Cancels All Short-Haul Flights
As a result of the disruption, British Airways has announced the cancellation of all short-haul flights at Heathrow for today.
“Our teams are currently working hard to review our long-haul schedule,” the airline stated, adding that they are also evaluating potential impacts on flights scheduled for tomorrow and beyond.
‘Extremely Damaging’ to the UK’s Reputation
Travel journalist Simon Calder expressed concerns about the long-term consequences of the incident, noting that even if power is fully restored, normal operations are unlikely to resume immediately.
“Tomorrow will still be far from a normal day,” he said, warning that disruptions could extend into next week.
“Ultimately, it’s extremely damaging to the UK economically, reputationally, and causes immense distress to people. All those people have been let down,” he added.
Student Criticizes Heathrow’s Lack of Backup Plan
Maz Cooper, an 18-year-old psychology student from Hampshire, was among those affected. She had been scheduled to travel to Poland for a college trip, with a planned visit to Auschwitz as the main focus.
Speaking to reporters, she expressed frustration over the lack of preparedness at Heathrow.
“It’s ridiculous that a substation fire could shut down such a large airport,” she said.
She described the uncertainty she and her classmates faced.
“We came to college this morning completely unsure if we’d be going. We waited until 12, when our teachers unfortunately broke the news that we couldn’t go.”
Cooper also highlighted the stress this caused for the trip’s organizers.
“I want to emphasize the stress and panic the teachers organizing this had to go through due to the lack of resilience from Heathrow Airport, let alone the students who were left in limbo until it was confirmed the trip was canceled.”
While she acknowledged the complexity of the situation, she criticized Heathrow’s apparent lack of contingency measures.
“The fact that there’s no back-up plan for problems like this is, frankly, ridiculous,” she said.
Smoke Continues to Rise from Substation
Even after 14 hours, smoke is still visible at the substation where the fire started. Emergency crews continue efforts to control the situation while authorities investigate.
National Grid’s Interim Solution
The National Grid has provided an update, stating that they have implemented “an interim solution” to restore power to affected customers, including Heathrow Airport.
According to their statement, engineers successfully reconfigured the network from the North Hyde substation, allowing reconnections to previously impacted areas. This includes parts of Heathrow that were affected by the outage.
However, the National Grid emphasized that this is only a temporary fix.
Reports from Heathrow Indicate Partial Restoration
PA news agency reporters on-site at Heathrow have observed signs of power returning to certain areas.
They report that lights are back on in Terminal 4’s main building, and the lifts in the multi-story car park are operational again.
Massive Travel Disruptions Expected
While some power has been restored, major disruptions are expected to continue. The full extent of the knock-on effect on future flights remains uncertain.
Passengers have been advised to check with their airlines for updates on rescheduled flights and alternative arrangements.
Emergency Response and Investigation Continue
Fire crews remain at the scene, working to fully extinguish the blaze and assess structural damage. The counter-terrorism unit continues its investigation, but so far, there is no evidence suggesting foul play.
Airport authorities and government officials are expected to hold briefings to provide further updates on the situation and outline steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Unanswered Questions
As of now, passengers and industry experts alike are left with pressing concerns:
- When will normal airport operations resume?
- Will airlines be able to accommodate stranded passengers quickly?
- What caused the fire, and could similar incidents happen again?
For now, Heathrow remains at a standstill, leaving thousands of travelers uncertain about their next steps.