Heathrow Airport Resumes Operations After Fire Disrupts Services
Heathrow Airport, Europe’s busiest, resumed operations on Saturday after being forced to close on Friday due to a fire at an electrical substation in Hayes, west of London. The incident caused a massive power outage, leading to delays and cancellations that affected thousands of passengers and triggered an air transport crisis.
Global Impact and Affected Passengers
The airport closure disrupted approximately 1,350 flights, according to Flightradar24, affecting connectivity with 80 countries. British Airways, the largest carrier at Heathrow, reported that 85% of its scheduled flights could operate on Saturday, though delays were expected. The airline manages around 600 flights to and from Heathrow each Saturday.
In total, more than 200,000 passengers were impacted. Uncertainty and chaos marked the day, with stories like that of Sagar Sagh, who had to wait hours to board his flight to Mumbai after a cancellation. In contrast, Claire Montgomery, a traveler heading to Austin, Texas, expressed relief at being able to board without issues.
Heathrow’s Response and Normalization Measures
A Heathrow spokesperson confirmed that the airport is now “fully operational” and that hundreds of additional staff have been deployed in the terminals to assist passengers. Additional flights were added to Saturday’s schedule to accommodate 10,000 more passengers. However, travelers were advised to check with their airlines for the latest updates.
Airport CEO Thomas Woldbye apologized for the inconvenience, stating that an incident of this magnitude is “unprecedented.” Although the airport has emergency generators and multiple power sources, these systems are not designed to ensure full operations in such situations.
Ongoing Investigation into the Fire
The fire broke out on Thursday night, and while firefighters have ruled out suspicious causes, the Metropolitan Police’s counter-terrorism unit has launched an investigation due to the incident’s significance. However, no evidence of criminal activity has been found so far.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has ordered the National Grid to conduct an urgent investigation to determine the cause of the failure and prevent future disruptions. “The government is determined to do everything possible to ensure this does not happen again,” he stated.
Heathrow’s Vulnerability
Every day, 230,000 passengers pass through Heathrow, which handles 83 million people annually. Its role as a global aviation hub makes it a critical infrastructure. The incident has highlighted the airport’s vulnerability to power failures and raised questions about the robustness of its backup systems.
The crisis at Heathrow has been widely covered by British media, which have described the incident as “chaotic” and questioned how such a significant disruption could occur at one of the world’s most advanced airports. As the investigation continues, the challenge will be to strengthen the airport’s energy infrastructure to prevent future crises.
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