Heathrow Airport Resumes Flights After Major Power Outage
Chaos at One of the World’s Busiest Airports
London’s Heathrow Airport, one of the busiest travel hubs in the world, faced a near 24-hour shutdown after a fire broke out at a nearby electrical substation. The incident led to a major power outage, throwing flight schedules into disarray and affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers. Fortunately, by Friday afternoon, Heathrow officials announced they were "safely able to restart flights"—but the chaos was far from over.
Travelers Warned: Don’t Head to the Airport Just Yet
Even with the green light to resume flights, authorities strongly advised travelers to stay put unless they received direct confirmation from their airline. The airport is working round the clock to restore full operations and aims to return to a normal schedule by Saturday.
"Our teams have worked tirelessly since the incident to ensure a speedy recovery. We're now safely able to restart flights, prioritizing repatriation and relocation of aircraft," Heathrow officials stated.
But with the disruption already causing ripple effects across the travel network, passengers can still expect delays and cancellations in the coming days.
How Many Flights Were Impacted?
British Airways, Heathrow’s largest airline, said it expected to run about 85% of its nearly 600 scheduled arrivals and departures on Saturday. However, travelers were warned to brace for potential hold-ups.
“This will clearly have a significant impact on our operation and our customers, and we’re working as quickly as possible to update them on their travel options for the next 24 hours and beyond,” British Airways stated.
The scale of the disruption was staggering. Aviation analytics firm Cirium estimated that around 290,000 passengers were affected by the closure on Friday alone. With 669 flights originally scheduled for the day—accounting for nearly 146,000 seats—the consequences of this outage stretched far beyond Heathrow. Saturday’s flights also faced uncertainty, with an additional 270,000 passengers at risk of travel headaches.
“Because aircraft, crew, and passengers are all out of place, with limited spare aircraft and seats available, the impact of this incident will cascade over several days,” Cirium explained.
Flights Diverted, Passengers Stranded
As the fire sent plumes of smoke billowing into the sky, flights bound for Heathrow were hastily redirected to other UK airports. British Airways scrambled to accommodate affected travelers, urging them not to head to the airport until further notice.
The Fire: What Happened?
The fire broke out late Thursday night at a power substation in West London, triggering widespread electrical failures that paralyzed Heathrow and impacted surrounding homes and businesses.
London Fire Brigade quickly responded to the crisis, deploying 70 firefighters and 10 fire trucks to battle the flames. The intensity of the fire was heightened by a transformer that contained 25,000 liters of cooling oil, which ignited and created a hazardous situation.
"This created a major hazard owing to the still live high voltage equipment and the nature of an oil-fueled fire," said London Fire Brigade Deputy Commissioner Jonathan Smith. While firefighters managed to contain most of the blaze, approximately 5% of the fire remained active in isolated hotspots as of Friday night.
Investigation Underway – But No Suspicion of Foul Play
Authorities are still working to determine the exact cause of the fire. While the Metropolitan Police are conducting an investigation, they have stated that there are currently no signs of suspicious activity.
Due to the substation’s critical role in national infrastructure, the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command has taken the lead in the investigation as a precaution.
Mass Evacuations and Safety Measures
As a safety precaution, firefighters evacuated 29 residents from nearby properties, and a 200-meter exclusion zone was established, affecting around 150 people. Given the significant amount of smoke in the air, residents were also advised to keep their windows closed until conditions improved.
What’s Next for Heathrow and Stranded Passengers?
While Heathrow is on track to fully reopen, the aftermath of the outage is expected to linger. Airlines are working overtime to reposition aircraft, rebook passengers, and clear the backlog caused by the sudden shutdown. Travelers should continue to check with their airlines before heading to the airport and be prepared for possible changes to their itineraries.
With such a major disruption to one of the world’s busiest airports, the effects of this incident may be felt for days. If you have upcoming travel plans through Heathrow, patience and flexibility will be key.
Login