UK: Flights resume in limited capacity at Heathrow Airport after shutdown due to power outage

LONDON: Heathrow Airport announced on Friday night that it is restarting flights after a power outage took place there that had resulted in a complete shutdown of one of the world’s busiest airports.

In a series of posts on X, the Airport authorities noted that it is prioritising repatriation and relocation of aircraft and is now able to “safely restart flights.” The airport added that it hopes to run a full operation on March 22 and offered apologies for the inconvenience caused.

“Our teams have worked tirelessly since the incident to ensure a speedy recovery. We’re now safely able to restart flights, prioritising repatriation and relocation of aircraft. Please do not travel to the airport unless your airline has advised you to do so”, Heathrow Airport said a post on X.

Our teams have worked tirelessly since the incident to ensure a speedy recovery. We’re now safely able to restart flights, prioritising repatriation and relocation of aircraft. Please do not travel to the airport unless your airline has advised you to do so. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/fhUGiXCh6B

— Heathrow Airport (@HeathrowAirport) March 21, 2025

“We hope to run a full operation tomorrow and will provide further information shortly. Our priority remains the safety of our passengers and those working at the airport. We apologise for the inconvenience caused by this incident. (2/2)”

We hope to run a full operation tomorrow and will provide further information shortly. Our priority remains the safety of our passengers and those working at the airport. We apologise for the inconvenience caused by this incident. (2/2)

— Heathrow Airport (@HeathrowAirport) March 21, 2025

According to media reports, the power outage lasted over fifteen hours at Heathrow, which is one of the world’s busiest airports. New York Times cited Heathrow’s chief executive, Thomas Woldbye, who called the outage and disruption at Britain’s largest airport “unprecedented”. He vowed that the airport would be operating at “100 per cent” by Saturday, however, though the ripple effects of the shutdown were expected to cause delays for travellers throughout the weekend.

London’s Heathrow Airport announced on Friday a complete shutdown for the entire day due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, the airport authorities announced. In a statement issued on its X account, the airport authorities said that the airport will remain closed to maintain the safety of its passengers and colleagues.

In an update shared by the London Fire Brigade over the fire in a high voltage substation near Heathrow Airport, it said, “The fire involved a transformer comprising 25,000 litres of its cooling oil fully alight. This created a major hazard owing to the still live high voltage equipment and the nature of an oil fuelled fire. As of the most recent update, approximately five per cent remains alight in isolated hotspots, and we will maintain a presence at the site until the incident is resolved.”

The remarks were made by London Fire Brigade’s (LFB) Deputy Commissioner Jonathan Smith, who also noted that investigations are underway to identify the cause of the fire. “London Fire Brigade Fire Investigation Officers, supported by a scientific advisor, have been working closely with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to investigate the cause of this fire. The MPS has confirmed that the fire is believed to be non-suspicious. LFB’s investigation will now focus on the electrical distribution equipment,” the statement said. (ANI)