Heathrow Airport has resumed full operations on Saturday following a nearly day-long shutdown caused by a fire at a nearby electrical substation, which forced extensive flight diversions and cancellations.
The incident, which affected Europe’s busiest air hub, has prompted the airport to order a probe into its crisis-management response.
British Airways, whose main hub is Heathrow, reported operating about 90% of its schedule on Saturday and promised a "near-full" schedule for Sunday. Chief executive Sean Doyle warned on Friday that the disruption’s "huge impact" could last for several days, as airlines continue to grapple with the fallout.
In response to the incident, Heathrow has tasked independent board member and former transport minister Ruth Kelly with reviewing its crisis-management plan. The goal is to bolster the airport’s resilience against future disruptions. Meanwhile, Britain’s energy ministry has commissioned the National Energy System Operator to urgently investigate the outage, raising broader concerns about the resilience of the nation’s critical infrastructure.
The outage, which halted operations on what was expected to be a busy Friday with 1,351 scheduled flights and up to 291,000 passengers, forced long-haul flights to return to their departure points and resulted in numerous diversions. Although the vast majority of scheduled flights managed to depart successfully on Saturday, tens of thousands of passengers still face significant delays.
Aviation experts compared the scale of the disruption to the 2010 Icelandic volcanic ash cloud that grounded nearly 100,000 flights across Europe. Passengers voiced their frustration; one U.S. citizen, Amber Roden, described the situation as "absolutely insane" after several relatives experienced multiple flight cancellations and delays en route to her wedding.
Despite assurances from Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye that "we don't expect any major amount of flights to be cancelled or delayed," airlines like Virgin Atlantic and Air India continue to navigate the disruption, promising near-full schedules as they recover from the incident.
The incident has reignited debate over the reliability of the UK's critical infrastructure, with industry leaders like Willie Walsh, head of IATA and former British Airways chief, criticizing what he called a clear planning failure by the airport. Major British newspapers have not held back in their criticism, with headlines in The Sun and Daily Mail describing the situation as a "humiliating fiasco" and "farcical," respectively.
Authorities are not treating the incident as suspicious, with police and the London Fire Brigade focusing on investigating the electrical distribution equipment. As Heathrow works to restore normal operations and rebuild confidence, the fallout from the outage is expected to have significant financial implications for the travel industry in the coming days.
The cause of the fire that disrupted Heathrow Airport operations remains unknown, with ongoing investigations focused on preventing future incidents.
Heathrow Airport has resumed full operations after a significant disruption caused by a fire at an electrical substation, which shut down the airport on Friday, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and flights diverted.
Heathrow Airport has reopened after a fire knocked out power, stranding thousands and raising concerns over infrastructure reliability.
Heathrow Airport sets record with 84M passengers in 2024, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Investments in modern facilities drive growth as 2025 aims for 84.2M passengers.
Heathrow Airport announces a £3 billion investment to modernise terminals, advance decarbonisation efforts, and enhance passenger services.
Leaders of Central Asian countries and Italy convened in Astana for the first Central Asia–Italy summit, culminating in the adoption of a Joint Declaration aimed at deepening political, economic, and cultural cooperation.
At the Astana International Forum, senior officials from Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan held talks to strengthen bilateral cooperation, with a focus on trade, economic collaboration, and regional stability.
In a landmark moment for artists’ rights, Taylor Swift has officially bought back the master recordings of her first six albums, ending a long-running dispute over who controls her music.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed Friday that COVID-19 vaccines are still recommended for healthy children aged 6 months and older—if their doctors agree.
A 61-year-old man in Alaska rescued after being trapped facedown under a massive 700-pound boulder in a freezing glacier-fed creek for three hours.
AnewZ takes to the streets of Yerevan and Baku to ask a simple yet deeply complex question: How do you see peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan? In the first part of our special report, we hear the hopes, doubts, and scars still shaping people’s perspectives on both sides.
On May 28, the inauguration ceremony of Lachin International Airport was held.
A car drove into crowds of Liverpool fans celebrating the club’s Premier League title in the city centre on Monday evening, injuring dozens including 4 children. A 53-year-old man believed to be the driver was arrested at the scene.
EU ministers have greenlit a massive €150 billion defense investment fund—dubbed the Security Action for Europe (SAFE)—as the bloc ramps up its military readiness in response to Russia’s aggression and growing uncertainty over U.S. security guarantees.
Brazil’s economy is expected to have regained momentum in the first quarter of 2025, driven by a surge in household spending and private investment, according to a Reuters poll of economists conducted from May 21–26.
In a landmark moment for artists’ rights, Taylor Swift has officially bought back the master recordings of her first six albums, ending a long-running dispute over who controls her music.
A 61-year-old man in Alaska rescued after being trapped facedown under a massive 700-pound boulder in a freezing glacier-fed creek for three hours.
Two foreign nationals were indicted Friday in California and Wisconsin for allegedly trying to smuggle sensitive U.S. military technology to China and target an American dissident critical of Beijing.
The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered an accident investigation into SpaceX’s latest Starship test flight, which ended with the spacecraft spinning out of control and breaking apart over the Indian Ocean.
Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blažek resigned Friday after opposition parties called for his removal over a controversy involving bitcoins donated to the Ministry of Justice.
Leaders of Central Asian countries and Italy convened in Astana for the first Central Asia–Italy summit, culminating in the adoption of a Joint Declaration aimed at deepening political, economic, and cultural cooperation.
At the Astana International Forum, senior officials from Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan held talks to strengthen bilateral cooperation, with a focus on trade, economic collaboration, and regional stability.
In a landmark moment for artists’ rights, Taylor Swift has officially bought back the master recordings of her first six albums, ending a long-running dispute over who controls her music.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed Friday that COVID-19 vaccines are still recommended for healthy children aged 6 months and older—if their doctors agree.
A 61-year-old man in Alaska rescued after being trapped facedown under a massive 700-pound boulder in a freezing glacier-fed creek for three hours.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment