Heathrow Airport has resumed flight operations in a limited capacity following a power outage that led to a complete shutdown on Friday, disrupting one of the world’s busiest air travel hubs.
The disruption, attributed to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, lasted for over fifteen hours, severely affecting passengers and airline schedules.
Airport authorities announced on Friday night that operations were being restored, with priority given to the repatriation and relocation of aircraft.
“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,” Heathrow Airport stated in a post on social media platform X.
Passengers were advised to avoid travelling to the airport unless explicitly instructed by their respective airlines. Heathrow officials further expressed optimism about restoring full operations by Saturday.
“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,” the airport’s statement added.
The outage stemmed from a fire at a high-voltage substation near the airport.
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The London Fire Brigade (LFB) detailed the incident, explaining that the blaze involved a transformer containing 25,000 litres of cooling oil, which created a major hazard due to the presence of live high-voltage equipment.
“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,” stated Deputy Commissioner Jonathan Smith of the LFB.
Authorities have confirmed that the fire was not of suspicious origin.
“London Fire Brigade Fire Investigation Officers, supported by a scientific adviser, 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,” Smith added.
The unprecedented shutdown severely impacted operations at Britain’s largest airport. Heathrow’s Chief Executive, Thomas Woldbye, acknowledged the scale of disruption and assured travellers that the airport was working towards full operational capacity.
“This has been an unprecedented incident, but we are making every effort to restore operations to 100 per cent as soon as possible,” Woldbye said.
While flights have resumed, passengers have been advised to expect residual delays over the weekend as airlines and airport authorities work to manage the backlog caused by the prolonged shutdown.
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