Operations at London Heathrow Airport resumed late Friday after a significant fire disrupted power supply, leading to widespread travel chaos. The incident affected numerous airlines and caused financial concerns for the industry. While authorities confirmed the fire was not suspicious, passengers faced challenges finding accommodations, and the airport implemented additional flights to manage the backlog. The UK transport ministry lifted night flight restrictions to alleviate congestion, as the investigation into the fire continues.
Heathrow Airport Resumes Operations Following Major Disruption
Late Friday, flights began to gradually resume at London Heathrow Airport, which had been temporarily shut down due to a significant fire incident. The fire affected the airport’s power supply, leading to chaos in international travel. As Europe’s busiest airport, its closure on March 22 resulted in a ripple effect across the travel industry worldwide.
According to British Airways, the repercussions of this disruption are expected to be substantial in the following days. Currently, there is uncertainty regarding who will bear the financial burden caused by the incident. Authorities have stated that the fire is not being treated as suspicious, allowing investigations to proceed.
Industry Response and Passenger Assistance
Efforts are underway to reroute passengers and reorganize airline schedules after the fire broke out at an electrical substation serving Heathrow. While some flights resumed on Friday evening, the prolonged closure left many travelers scrambling for available hotel accommodations and alternative seats. A spokesperson for Heathrow confirmed that teams are actively assisting affected passengers, stating, “We have hundreds of additional colleagues in our terminals and have added flights to today’s schedule to facilitate the passage of an additional 10,000 passengers at the airport.”
The travel sector is now grappling with the potential financial fallout, estimated in the tens of millions of pounds. Questions are being raised about how such a critical piece of infrastructure could fail without appropriate contingency strategies. Willie Walsh, director of IATA and former British Airways chief, criticized the planning processes at the airport, suggesting that improvements are necessary.
Heathrow was initially set to manage 1,351 flights on the day of the incident, catering to approximately 291,000 passengers. However, due to the closure, many flights were redirected to alternative airports, while long-haul journeys returned to their points of origin. Heathrow’s CEO, Thomas Woldbye, expressed optimism for a return to full operations by Saturday, yet when questioned about liability for the disruptions, he indicated that standard procedures are in place but liabilities for such incidents are not established.
In response to the situation, the UK transport ministry temporarily lifted restrictions on night flights to alleviate congestion at airports. British Airways CEO Sean Doyle emphasized the significant impact this closure would have on customers in the upcoming days. Virgin Atlantic also announced its intention to maintain a near-full schedule, although they remain vigilant in monitoring the evolving situation.
The disruption affected numerous airlines, including JetBlue, American Airlines, Air Canada, Air India, Qantas, and more, leading to a decline in airline shares the following day. Aviation experts noted that the last time European airports faced such widespread disruption was during the 2010 Icelandic volcanic ash crisis.
As hotel prices around Heathrow skyrocketed, with some rooms listed at around £500 ($645), many travelers found themselves in a challenging situation. Those who were forced to land without the necessary documents may have to remain in transit lounges. While the investigation into the fire continues, authorities have focused on the electrical distribution equipment as part of their inquiries. Heathrow, along with other major London airports, has experienced outages in recent years, highlighting the need for robust infrastructure management.