LONDON (AP) — A British Airways flight marked the first arrival at Heathrow Airport late Friday, nearly 18 hours after an electrical substation fire triggered extensive power outages, closing down Europe’s heathrow-after-major-substation-fire-causes-chaos-for-1300-flights/” title=”Historic Moment: First Flight Touches Down at Heathrow After Major Substation Fire Causes Chaos for 1,300+ Flights!”>busiest airport.
The aircraft landed just before dusk following the lifting of a temporary closure that had caused widespread disruption for hundreds of thousands of travelers worldwide.
Flight tracking service FlightRadar 24 reported that approximately 1,350 flights faced cancellations or delays due to this incident. The ramifications are expected to linger for several days as passengers rebook their trips and airlines work to reposition planes and crews.
While officials are still investigating the cause of the blaze, there is currently no evidence pointing toward foul play.
Witnesses in west London recounted hearing a loud explosion followed by flames and smoke billowing from the electrical substation near Heathrow during the fire’s outbreak.
At the moment air traffic was halted, around 120 flights were airborne. Some were redirected back while others landed at Gatwick Airport in London or even further afield at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris or Shannon Airport in Ireland, according to flight data reports.
The Impact on Air Travel
Heathrow is known globally as one of the most trafficked airports for international travel. Earlier this year it recorded its highest January passenger count ever with over 6.3 million travelers—a rise exceeding 5% compared to last year’s numbers. However, Friday’s incidents weren’t on par with historical disruptions like those caused by Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption back in 2010 which led to pervasive chaos across transatlantic routes for an extended period.
Cause Remains Unknown but No Foul Play Suspected
The cause behind this major fire incident—situated roughly two miles (about three kilometers) away from Heathrow—remains unclear according to officials; however Energy Secretary Ed Miliband confirmed there were “no indications” it involved any malicious activity.
The Metropolitan Police have appointed counterterrorism experts for swift investigation due both to their expertise and because of how critical national infrastructure was affected by what transpired at this electrical supply facility.
Heathrow maintains its emergency power systems functioned as intended but proved inadequate for managing operations throughout the airport effectively during such crises necessitating immediate closure.
The airport has warned travelers against attempting arrival until it formally reopens due anticipation surrounding considerable disruptions lasting several days.”
A Call For Improved Preparedness
A strong response followed indicating that series’ shortcomings highlighted broader concerns regarding Britain’s readiness against potential calamities where a single event could incapacitate critical facilities like Heathrow.
Alan Mendoza from security think tank Henry Jackson Society criticized current infrastructural resilience levels stating: “If one blaze can close down a major hub like Heathrow… we must rethink our disaster management framework.”_
“Concerns need addressing regarding how future occurrences will be managed without resulting inconveniences,” said toto spokesperson Tom Wells related statements issued by Prime Minister Keir Starmer which confirmed necessity investigative measures ensuring disruptive incidents remain contained moving forward.” feeling instances similar won’t repeat.””” Bumpy Resumption Likely Ahead
