The recent power outage at London Heathrow airport has raised concerns about the airport's reliance on vulnerable infrastructure, especially as it pushes for expansion. A fire at an electrical substation near the airport led to the loss of power, causing major disruptions to flight operations on Friday. Although backup systems were activated, they were only able to facilitate limited operations for landing and passenger evacuation. Flight operations gradually resumed later in the day, primarily to assist stranded passengers in getting home.

The outage sparked criticism from industry experts, with Willie Walsh, former CEO of British Airways' parent company and current IATA director, expressing disappointment in Heathrow's handling of the situation. He highlighted the risks of relying on a single energy source without a backup plan, labeling it a failure in airport planning.

Given Heathrow's substantial energy consumption comparable to that of a small city, ensuring sufficient reserve power capacity is a complex challenge. Major power outages at the airport have been rare in the past, usually stemming from strikes, adverse weather conditions, or technical issues rather than infrastructure failures like this one.

Experts note that many UK airports are similarly connected to single power sources and that the recent incident's catastrophic nature is unusual. Instances like the substation fire can be caused by various factors, including flammable equipment and circuit breakers. It is concerning that a critical facility like Heathrow lacks an alternative energy supply point in case of emergencies, according to John Loughhead, an electrical engineering specialist at the Institution of Engineering and Technology.