Heathrow Airport fully operational after power outage disruption

English , International - بین الاقوامی , Snippets , / Saturday, March 22nd, 2025

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LONDON, March 22 – London Heathrow Airport has resumed full operations following a power outage caused by a fire at an off-site electrical substation.
In a statement, the airport confirmed it is now fully functional, with additional staff deployed to assist passengers affected by Friday’s disruption. “We have added flights to today’s schedule to accommodate an extra 10,000 passengers,” it said, advising travelers to check with airlines for updates.
Chief Executive Thomas Woldbye expressed regret for the inconvenience but defended the closure, explaining that the substation was not part of Heathrow’s infrastructure. “We were handling the consequences of that failure,” he told the BBC, adding that while further delays are unlikely, airlines will need to manage stranded passengers.
The outage caused widespread disruption, impacting an estimated 200,000 travelers. Flights were canceled, some diverted to other airports, and schools in the area were closed.
The Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command is leading the investigation due to the substation’s critical location, though authorities say there is no indication of foul play. The incident involved two explosions and a fire in Hayes, West London, on Thursday night.
Ofgem, the UK’s energy regulator, has announced a review into the cause of the failure and potential preventative measures.
Heathrow, which served a record 83.9 million passengers last year, confirmed its backup generators functioned as expected but were insufficient to sustain full operations