Heathrow Airport Investigates Power Outage Chaos, Passengers Face Delays
Heathrow Airport, one of the world’s busiest, is looking into how it handled a major power outage that caused nearly a full day of shutdowns. The incident, caused by a fire at a nearby electrical substation, left thousands of passengers stranded and forced flights to be canceled or diverted. According to Reuters, the airport has now resumed full operations, but travelers are still dealing with delays and disruptions.
British Airways, the airport’s biggest airline, managed to operate 90% of its flights on Saturday and expects to run almost all flights by Sunday. However, the airline warned that the impact of the outage could last for days. Heathrow had planned to handle over 1,300 flights on Friday, but the power cut forced many planes to turn back or land at other airports.
The UK government has asked the National Energy System Operator to investigate the outage, raising concerns about the country’s infrastructure. Heathrow has also appointed Ruth Kelly, a former transport minister, to review its crisis management plans and improve its systems for future emergencies.
Passengers shared their frustrations, with some missing important events like weddings. Amber Roden, a U.S. citizen getting married in three days, said some of her relatives had their flights canceled, while others had to turn back mid-journey.
Despite the chaos, most flights on Saturday operated smoothly, with only a few delays. Heathrow’s CEO, Thomas Woldbye, assured passengers that major cancellations were unlikely, and the airport has added extra staff to help manage the situation.
Airlines like Virgin Atlantic and Air India are working to restore their schedules, but many passengers are still facing disruptions. Police confirmed the fire was not suspicious, but investigations into the cause are ongoing.
The travel industry is questioning how such a critical failure could happen without backup systems. Willie Walsh, head of the global airlines group IATA, called it a “clear planning failure” by Heathrow. This isn’t the first time Heathrow has faced such issues, with similar outages occurring in recent years.
As the airport works to recover, passengers and experts alike are calling for better infrastructure to prevent future disruptions. This story, based on reporting by Reuters, highlights the challenges of managing one of the world’s busiest travel hubs and the need for stronger systems to keep travelers moving.
Credit: Reuters for original reporting and details.