Power Outage Shuts Down One of the World’s Busiest Airports
London’s Heathrow Airport, one of the world’s busiest travel hubs, faced a complete shutdown on Friday following a power outage caused by a nearby fire. The sudden closure resulted in widespread disruptions to air travel, affecting thousands of passengers worldwide.
The airport, which serves over 220,000 travelers daily through flights to more than 180 global destinations, suspended all operations for the entire day. Flights arriving from distant locations such as Vietnam, India, and Brunei were impacted, while departures to major destinations like Tokyo, New York, and Riyadh were halted. Heathrow officials advised passengers not to travel to the airport, confirming that operations would remain suspended until at least 11:59 p.m. local time.
Electrical Fire Triggers Massive Travel Chaos
The incident was traced back to a fire at an electrical substation supplying Heathrow with power. The London Fire Brigade responded late Thursday, dispatching dozens of firefighters to contain the blaze. Approximately 150 people were evacuated from the affected area, and while the exact cause of the fire remains unknown, it also left thousands of homes and businesses without electricity.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, a British energy provider, reported that around 16,000 customers lost power early Friday. Notably, this outage caused disruptions at Heathrow Airport, the outage caused disruptions in surrounding neighborhoods, further complicating efforts to restore normal services. Officials have yet to determine when full power will be reinstated.
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Global Flight Cancellations and Passenger Rights
The closure of Heathrow had far-reaching consequences for global air travel. Flight tracking service Flightradar24 reported that at least 1,351 flights were affected, with 120 aircraft already en route to Heathrow when the shutdown was announced. Many of these flights were diverted to alternative airports, including London Gatwick, Amsterdam Schiphol, and Paris Charles de Gaulle, while some were forced to return to their points of origin.
Officials warned that travel disruptions would persist in the coming days, with Heathrow urging passengers to avoid the airport until further notice. “We expect significant disruption over the coming days, and passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until it reopens,” a Heathrow spokesperson stated.
For affected travelers, British law provides protection in cases of flight cancellations. Passengers departing from the UK or arriving on European Union or UK-based airlines are entitled to refunds or alternative travel arrangements under the Civil Aviation Authority’s regulations. Airlines must also provide stranded passengers with food, accommodation, and transportation if rerouted to another flight the following day.
Passengers impacted by the Heathrow shutdown are advised to check with their airlines for specific policies and rebooking options as authorities work to resolve the crisis.
