A power outage that halted operations at Heathrow Airport for nearly 24 hours has prompted investigations from both the British government and the airport itself. The incident, which occurred last Friday, caused widespread disruption affecting 1,351 flights and approximately 291,000 passengers, making it one of the largest disruptions to hit the airport in recent history.
The fire, which broke out at the North Hyde substation in west London, crippled the power supply to the airport, forcing it to temporarily close. As a result, air traffic was severely disrupted, and operations did not return to normal until Saturday. The scale of the shutdown, which mirrored past disruptions like the 2010 Icelandic volcanic ash cloud crisis, raised alarms about the resilience of vital infrastructure.
In response, Heathrow has appointed former Transport Minister Ruth Kelly to review its crisis management plan and the overall response to the power outage. The airport’s leadership, while resuming normal operations, is under increasing pressure to address the incident thoroughly.
The British government, under the direction of Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, has also launched an investigation into the failure. The National Energy System Operator (NESO) will lead the inquiry to determine the root cause of the fire and evaluate potential systemic risks to ensure such an event doesn’t recur. Miliband, quoted by the BBC, emphasized the urgency of understanding the failure and the lessons to be learned, stating, “We are determined to properly understand what happened and what lessons need to be learned.”
Owned by a consortium that includes major investors such as the Qatar Investment Authority and the China Investment Corporation, Heathrow is a critical hub for global air traffic. The airport’s owners are now under intense scrutiny as they grapple with the fallout from this serious incident.
As investigations continue, the key question remains: how can critical infrastructure like Heathrow, one of the busiest airports in the world, be better safeguarded against such disruptive events in the future?
Sources:
- Reuters
- BBC News
