The United Kingdom’s largest airport shut down Friday after being hit with a power outage due to an electrical fire.
London’s Heathrow Airport will be closed until 11:59 p.m. local time Friday evening, officials said, after a fire erupted at an electrical substation supplying the airport with energy on Thursday.
The effects on travel are expected to be far-ranging, with an average of 220,000 passengers traveling through the airport on any given day. Heathrow offers flights to over 230 destinations around the globe.
The cause of the fire remains unknown as the Metropolitan Police’s counterterrorism unit is leading an investigation into the incident.
The fire at the North Hyde Electricity Substation involved a transformer comprising 25,000 liters of cooling oil that was fully lit, per the BBC. The effects of the power outage were widespread, leading to thousands of passengers being diverted to airports, including in Amsterdam, and the closure of multiple schools in Hayes. It also affected businesses and homes in the area.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed concern that the outage was “causing distress and disruption, especially for those traveling or without power in their homes,” and said in a post to X on Friday he was “receiving regular updates” about the fire at Heathrow.
Jonathan Smith, the deputy commissioner for the London Fire Brigade, said in a briefing Friday morning that 29 people from neighboring properties were evacuated over the fire. In total, 150 people were evacuated, he said.
The incident has sparked concerns that the country’s largest airport is dependent on a single power source.
WHY US AIRSPACE IS CONSIDERED THE SAFEST IN THE WORLD DESPITE CONCERNS ABOUT POTOMAC CRASH
Willie Walsh, the CEO of British Airways’ parent company IAG, said the fires fueled “serious questions.” British Airways is the biggest operator at Heathrow.
“This is yet another case of Heathrow letting down both travelers and airlines. And that begs some serious questions,” Walsh, who is also the director general of the International Air Transport Association, said in a statement. “Firstly, how is it that critical infrastructure — of national and global importance — is totally dependent on a single power source without an alternative. If that is the case — as it seems — then it is a clear planning failure by the airport.”
