“This incident will significantly impact our airline and customers in the days ahead, causing disruptions to travel for the foreseeable future,” stated British Airways CEO Sean Doyle. The airline confirmed that almost 600 departures and arrivals are scheduled for Saturday and they aim to operate as many of these flights as possible.
The closure resulted in over 1,300 flights being either canceled or diverted on Friday alone. London's Heathrow, where British Airways is based, is a key hub for transatlantic flights and connections to the Middle East and Asia. While some flights were redirected to nearby airports like London Gatwick, others had to be sent as far as Frankfurt.
“We apologize for the inconvenience caused and are working closely with the Government, Heathrow, and the police to determine the cause of the incident,” stated National Grid UK. “Measures are being implemented to enhance the resilience of our network.”
After a chaotic day where hundreds of flights were affected, the airport has reopened. The UK Metropolitan Police revealed that a counter-terrorism investigation is ongoing into the fire at a nearby power substation that caused the outage but there is no evidence of foul play at this stage.
Passengers were advised by Heathrow to check with their airlines for the latest flight information for Saturday. Additional staff have been deployed in terminals to handle the extra 10,000 passengers expected to travel through the airport.
British Airways, the main airline at Heathrow, estimates that around 85% of its scheduled flights will operate on Saturday. Power has been restored to all customers connected to National Grid UK's North Hyde substation, enabling airport operations to resume.
The outage is estimated to have significant financial implications, with potential costs ranging between $80 million and $100 million. This includes expenses for accommodation, food, transportation, as well as operational impacts like rerouting and rescheduling flights.aircraft repositioning.
Heathrow's infrastructure resilience is now under scrutiny following the unprecedented outage. Questions arise about the airport's redundancy systems and its energy requirements. The outage highlights the challenges of having a reliable backup system to meet a large airport's needs.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband disclosed that the fire disabled a backup generator for Heathrow, along with the electricity substation serving the airport. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with authorities.
Heathrow is aiming to expand with a third runway to boost traffic and compete with global hubs like Dubai and Istanbul. The recent blackout has raised concerns about the airport’s infrastructure and emergency preparedness.
Previous incidents at Heathrow include a technical issue in 2023 that disrupted UK airspace, leading to flight delays and cancellations. The airport has faced challenges in the past, such as the 2006 liquid explosives plot and weather-related disruptions.
Disruptions at Heathrow have impacted airlines, travelers, and airport operations. Passengers have been rerouted, flights canceled, and services halted. The far-reaching effects of the blackout are expected to persist for days as airlines work to restore normal operations.