Heathrow Airport in London has officially resumed full operations on Saturday, following a day of chaos due to a fire at an electrical substation that halted services on Friday. Investigations are ongoing, while British Airways prepares for a day of anticipated delays.
Heathrow Airport Slowly Recovers After Fire Disruption
Heathrow Airport Slowly Recovers After Fire Disruption
Flights are back on track at Heathrow Airport, but travelers face ongoing delays following a significant disruption caused by a fire.
The disruption at Heathrow Airport, one of the busiest in the world, sent shockwaves through the travel plans of countless passengers as operations were significantly hindered following a fire at a local electrical substation. The fire, which broke out early Friday morning, led to power outages affecting both airport operations and tens of thousands of nearby homes.
On Saturday, Heathrow aimed to return to a full operating schedule, although significant delays were expected. British Airways, the largest airline serving the airport, announced that approximately 85 percent of its nearly 600 flight scheduled for the day would resume, albeit with delays impacting many passengers. The airline has also proactively canceled several flights on routes that typically have high frequencies to assist travelers in finding alternative arrangements.
The airport, in an earlier advisory, instructed passengers to avoid traveling unless they had confirmed flights. The Metropolitan Police stated that preliminary investigations did not reveal any signs of foul play regarding the fire, while London's Fire Brigade encountered challenges in extinguishing the blaze due to the substation's coolant system.
Heathrow’s chief executive, Thomas Woldbye, explained that while a backup transformer was operational during the incident, it did not provide sufficient power to support the entire facility, leading to the extended disruption. However, the power network was successfully reconfigured to restore partial electricity to the airport and surrounding areas.
As air traffic resumed Saturday morning, planes from various global locations, including Hong Kong, South Africa, and Brazil, were beginning to arrive back at Heathrow, signaling a gradual return to normalcy as the airport navigates the aftermath of the incident.
The situation remains fluid, and passengers are advised to keep an eye on updates from their respective airlines.
