Flights at one of the world's busiest airports, Heathrow, are cautiously resuming after operations were brought to a standstill due to a fire at an electrical substation. The incident, which occurred early Friday, led to extensive travel disruptions, impacting over a quarter of a million travelers as more than a thousand flights were diverted or canceled.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed there were no immediate signs of foul play as they continued their investigation into the cause of the fire. British Airways, the airport's largest airline, announced on Friday evening that it anticipated about 85% of its nearly 600 scheduled flights for Saturday would proceed, although passengers should expect delays as the situation settles.
Heathrow representatives issued a warning, advising passengers not to head to the airport unless confirmed by their respective airlines. "We hope to run a full operation tomorrow and will provide further information shortly," they stated. According to reports, significant delays are expected in the days following as airlines work to recombine their itineraries.
Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye explained that, at the time of the fire, a backup transformer was functioning; however, it wasn’t sufficient to maintain operations throughout the entire airport. London Fire Brigade faced challenges in extinguishing the fire due to the presence of cooling oil in the substation, which complicated their efforts.
As operations resume, flights from around the globe are heading into Heathrow, with early arrivals from places as diverse as Hong Kong, South Africa, and Brazil. The National Grid is said to have reconfigured its network to restore partial power to the airport and surrounding areas.
With the situation still developing, travel plans for many remain uncertain as the airport navigates the aftermath of the significant disruption.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed there were no immediate signs of foul play as they continued their investigation into the cause of the fire. British Airways, the airport's largest airline, announced on Friday evening that it anticipated about 85% of its nearly 600 scheduled flights for Saturday would proceed, although passengers should expect delays as the situation settles.
Heathrow representatives issued a warning, advising passengers not to head to the airport unless confirmed by their respective airlines. "We hope to run a full operation tomorrow and will provide further information shortly," they stated. According to reports, significant delays are expected in the days following as airlines work to recombine their itineraries.
Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye explained that, at the time of the fire, a backup transformer was functioning; however, it wasn’t sufficient to maintain operations throughout the entire airport. London Fire Brigade faced challenges in extinguishing the fire due to the presence of cooling oil in the substation, which complicated their efforts.
As operations resume, flights from around the globe are heading into Heathrow, with early arrivals from places as diverse as Hong Kong, South Africa, and Brazil. The National Grid is said to have reconfigured its network to restore partial power to the airport and surrounding areas.
With the situation still developing, travel plans for many remain uncertain as the airport navigates the aftermath of the significant disruption.
