London Heathrow Airport, one of the world’s busiest travel hubs, has finally resumed operations after a massive power outage caused by an electrical fire. The incident, which began late Thursday evening, led to a full shutdown of the airport on Friday, disrupting thousands of flights and leaving passengers stranded worldwide.
On Saturday morning, the first flight took off without issues at 6 a.m., bringing relief to airlines and travelers. Heathrow officials confirmed the restart in a statement on social media, apologizing for the disruption. However, airlines warn that delays and cancellations will continue for days as they work to clear the backlog. British Airways, one of Heathrow’s biggest operators, said recovering from such a major incident is “extremely complex.” Many planes and crew members were stranded in other locations after flights were diverted. Aviation experts predict it could take several days before normal operations fully resume.
The fire broke out at a key electrical substation, cutting power not only to the airport but also to nearby homes and businesses. Counter-terrorism police and investigators reviewed security footage to determine if the fire was intentional. However, they found no evidence of sabotage, concluding it was caused by an electrical system failure. Despite this, security experts warn that the incident highlights vulnerabilities in the UK’s critical infrastructure. Alan Mendoza of the Henry Jackson Society, a security think tank, said, “If one fire can shut down Heathrow… it tells you something’s badly wrong with our system of managing such disasters.”
For many travelers, the disruption has been a nightmare. Flights were canceled or diverted, leaving people stuck in airports for hours. Some missed important events, holidays, or business meetings. Even with flights now resuming, airlines advise passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport, as delays remain likely. Heathrow officials and utility companies are working to ensure such an outage doesn’t happen again. A full investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the fire and to improve the airport’s power resilience.
Travelers are being urged to check their flight status before heading to the airport, allow extra time for potential delays, and contact airlines for rebooking options if affected by cancellations. While Heathrow is back in operation, the travel chaos serves as a reminder of how dependent global aviation is on reliable infrastructure—and how quickly things can go wrong when it fails.
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