In March, a fire at an electrical substation forced Heathrow Airport to close for over 12 hours. An investigation revealed that the short circuit, which caused the fire, stemmed from a transformer part that hadn’t seen essential maintenance for nearly eight years. The British government’s report, released on Wednesday, disclosed that more than 1,000 flights were disrupted during the unprecedented closure, bringing one of the world’s busiest airports to a standstill.
Regulators emphasized that the transformer, designated SGT3, had a history of recognized problems dating back to 2018. Despite multiple opportunities for maintenance, none were acted upon. The last maintenance check on SGT3 occurred in July 2018, raising serious concerns about the negligence surrounding the management of critical infrastructure.
The breakdown in electrical supply was significant enough to disable key safety systems, forcing all flights in and out of Heathrow to be halted. Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed deep concerns about this serious incident, stressing the urgent need for answers surrounding the vulnerabilities in the nation's electrical grid.
Compounding the issue, the report noted that Heathrow's internal power systems weren’t configured to efficiently access supply from nearby unaffected substations, leading to a slow response during the emergency. This unfortunate oversight in risk assessment highlighted the airport management's unpreparedness for such catastrophic power outages.
Consequently, the findings call into question the robustness of Britain’s infrastructure and the commitment to maintaining safety standards in crucial public services.
Regulators emphasized that the transformer, designated SGT3, had a history of recognized problems dating back to 2018. Despite multiple opportunities for maintenance, none were acted upon. The last maintenance check on SGT3 occurred in July 2018, raising serious concerns about the negligence surrounding the management of critical infrastructure.
The breakdown in electrical supply was significant enough to disable key safety systems, forcing all flights in and out of Heathrow to be halted. Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed deep concerns about this serious incident, stressing the urgent need for answers surrounding the vulnerabilities in the nation's electrical grid.
Compounding the issue, the report noted that Heathrow's internal power systems weren’t configured to efficiently access supply from nearby unaffected substations, leading to a slow response during the emergency. This unfortunate oversight in risk assessment highlighted the airport management's unpreparedness for such catastrophic power outages.
Consequently, the findings call into question the robustness of Britain’s infrastructure and the commitment to maintaining safety standards in crucial public services.
