Flights Resume at Heathrow After Power Outage Causes Shutdown

Heathrow Airport has reopened after a fire knocked out power, stranding thousands and raising concerns over infrastructure reliability.

Flights at Britain’s Heathrow Airport have resumed after a fire disrupted the power supply, shutting down Europe’s busiest airport for the day. The outage stranded tens of thousands of passengers and caused global travel chaos.

British Airways chief executive Sean Doyle said the disruption will continue to affect passengers even after the airport reopens.

The incident has sparked concerns about the resilience of Heathrow’s infrastructure, with experts estimating it would cost nearly $65 million to install a separate backup power supply for the entire airport.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) advised that passengers affected by the outage should be offered a refund or an alternative flight by their airline.

For flights on UK or EU carriers—covered by UK passenger rights legislation—passengers are also entitled to meals, refreshments, and hotel accommodation during delays, the CAA said. Passengers on other carriers are encouraged to contact their airline directly.

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