In brief
After a significant fire disrupted operations, Heathrow is back, but travelers should expect ongoing accidents.
Heathrow Airport in London is starting its first full day of service on Saturday after a fire at an electrical substation wreaked havoc, halting operations for most of Friday. This iconic air hub, known for its bustling traffic, faced challenges as the fire not only affected flights but also cut power to thousands of nearby homes. The Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation into the cause, but they currently believe there’s no foul play involved.British Airways, Heathrow's main carrier, announced that about 85 percent of its nearly 600 flights set for Saturday are expected to operate, although delays will be common. The disruption, which lasted 16 hours starting early Friday morning, impacted over a quarter of a million travelers, with more than a thousand flights diverted. The airport has cautioned passengers to only head to the airport if they’ve received confirmation from their airline.Despite the setbacks, flights from various international destinations including Hong Kong and Brazil began arriving on Saturday morning. Heathrow's chief executive, Thomas Woldbye, explained that while a backup transformer was functional at the time of the incident, it couldn’t support the entire airport. The substation fire was complicated by a significant amount of cooling oil, which posed additional challenges for firefighters.Britain’s National Grid reported that emergency measures were implemented to restore power partially to the airport and local consumers, as operations are slowly returning to normal.
