A recent fire at an electrical substation near Heathrow Airport plunged the airport into darkness, resulting in a lengthy power outage that took close to 18 hours to resolve. The incident resulted in widespread travel delays and emphasized the critical need for robust infrastructure resilience.
Interestingly, a data center located less than half a mile from the fire site continued operations unaffected due to its extensive backup systems. Within minutes of losing power, the data center relied on batteries and generators that swiftly activated, illustrating the stark difference in preparedness between sectors. Energy experts suggest this discrepancy chiefly stems from financial considerations.
Simon Gallagher, managing director of UK Networks Services, pointed out that the younger data center industry prioritizes investments in disaster prevention, unlike many airports, including Heathrow. He noted it is entirely feasible for significant airports to implement backup systems capable of sustaining operations during large-scale power failures, but the cost could reach up to $100 million and take years to implement.
Despite the pressing need for resilience against catastrophic failures highlighted by the recent disruptions, many airports hesitate to prioritize such investments. "At the minute, there seems to be an assumption that it would cost too much," Gallagher stated, reflecting a widespread cost-benefit analysis trend in the airport management sector. As travel resumes globally, ensuring infrastructure resilience has become increasingly critical to avoid future disruptions like that experienced at Heathrow.
