Heathrow Kicks Off Partial Flight Operations After Major Fire Chaos
Heathrow Airport is limping back to life after a massive power cut sparked by a fire at a nearby electrical substation brought the busy hub to a standstill. Limited flights resumed yesterday afternoon, prioritising bringing home stranded passengers.
Flights Restart with Strict Restrictions
Operations got back underway at 4:31pm, running out of Terminals 3 and 5 only. The airport switched to easterly operations, with landings on the northern runway (09L) and departures from the southern runway (09R).
A Heathrow spokesperson said:
“Our teams have worked tirelessly since the incident to ensure a speedy recovery. We’re now safely able to begin some flights later today. Our first flights will be repatriation flights and relocating aircraft. Please do not travel to the airport unless your airline has advised you to do so.”
Officials confirmed they are coordinating with airline partners to fly back passengers stranded in other European airports. Heathrow expects to be fully operational by tomorrow morning.
Heathrow Boss Sounds Alarm: “Power Loss Like a Mid-Size City”
Chief Executive Thomas Woldbye called the incident “unprecedented.” The fire caused a power outage equal to shutting down a mid-sized city.
“This is as big as it gets for our airport,” Woldbye said. “We are deeply sorry for the disruption caused — it was due to outside factors, and we could not safely operate.”
He added:
“We would never dream of shutting Heathrow unless absolutely necessary. It was a tough decision, but safety comes first. We’re coming back fast and expect full operation tomorrow morning.”
Transport Secretary: “Absolutely Unprecedented Situation”
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander called the blaze “an absolutely unprecedented situation” and vowed to get to the bottom of the cause.
“This incident was outside Heathrow’s control. We need to understand what caused such a huge fire at a substation near vital national infrastructure,” she said.
While counter-terrorism police are helping with the investigation, Alexander stressed there is no sign of foul play so far.
“Counter Terrorism Command has the tools to investigate swiftly and thoroughly. There is currently no evidence of sabotage or malicious intent,” she added.
Passengers Urged to Hold Off Travel
Heathrow warns passengers not to come to the airport unless their airline tells them to. Priority remains on repatriation flights and repositioning aircraft before services resume fully.
Dramatic videos showed flames lighting up the sky above the North Hyde substation late Wednesday. Eyewitnesses on the Hayes Bypass and M4 captured the intense blaze.
“We saw it from the M4 — it was unbelievable. The fire just kept growing. Dozens of cars stopped to watch. I’ve never seen anything like it,” said one onlooker.
London Fire Brigade received 212 emergency calls and sent ten fire engines to tackle the blaze involving a transformer with 25,000 litres of cooling oil. A full investigation is ongoing.
Recovery Efforts Underway
Engineers continue working to restore power and assess damage. Heathrow urges passengers to check airline updates and monitor official channels before heading to the airport.
