Heathrow Airport, another one of the world’s busiest airports with only two runways, suffered a surprise closure on Friday. Some of that disruption was caused by a fire at an electrical substation. The fire sparked a major power outage, cutting electricity to more than 7000 homes and businesses and spreading mayhem in the downtown area. As the UK’s main gateway airport and one of the world’s largest travel hubs, Heathrow has about 1,300 combined take-offs and landings a day. The airport closure went into effect only a few hours before it was supposed to allow more flights. Airlines were forced to rapidly reroute flights, diverting passengers to other nearby airports.
A water pipe exploded starting an early Friday morning fire. Due to this being put into place, at least 120 flights already in the air had to be diverted. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic both rerouted their planes into Gatwick, while Qantas Airways sent its Perth-London flight to Paris. A United Airlines flight from New York was diverted to Shannon, Ireland. Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne commented on the incident, stating:
“This is a highly visible and significant incident, and our firefighters are working tirelessly in challenging conditions to bring the fire under control as swiftly as possible.” – Assistant commissioner Pat Goulbourne
The power outage affected airport operations and severely affected local residents and businesses relying on access to the small but busy airport. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks acknowledged the situation:
“We’re aware of a widespread power cut affecting many of our customers around the Hayes, Hounslow and surrounding areas,” – Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks
Following the accident, Heathrow Airport advised all travelers against coming to the airport until further notice. The airport has the possibility of prolonging the closure, up until 23h59 on 21 March, if security of passengers can’t be ensured.
“To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23h59 on 21 March,” – Heathrow airport
The proposed closure of Heathrow, the UK’s and Europe’s busiest international travel hub, would send shockwaves through the international air travel market. Ian Petchenik, spokesman for FlightRadar24, emphasized its importance:
“Heathrow is one of the major hubs of the world,” – Ian Petchenik, spokesman for FlightRadar24
Restoration efforts are already in progress, and emergency measures are in place to prevent greater disturbance. Assistant Commissioner Goulbourne noted the ongoing nature of the incident:
“The fire has caused a power outage affecting a large number of homes and local businesses, and we are working closely with our partners to minimise disruption.” – Assistant commissioner Pat Goulbourne