The chief executive of Heathrow Airport expressed his satisfaction with the airport’s response following its closure due to a fire incident. Flights have resumed at Heathrow as the airport aims to return to normal operations after being shut down due to a power loss caused by a fire at an electricity substation in Hayes. Thomas Woldbye, the CEO of Heathrow Airport, apologized for the travel disruptions caused by the fire and clarified that the power substation affected is not part of Heathrow’s infrastructure.
Woldbye acknowledged the challenges faced due to the power failure but commended the airport’s handling of the situation. The first regular passenger flight to land at Heathrow since the incident was British Airways flight BA56 from Johannesburg, South Africa. British Airways, a major airline at Heathrow, plans to operate approximately 85% of its scheduled flights at the airport on Saturday, with some cancellations expected on high-frequency routes.
Explaining the power outage, Woldbye mentioned a backup transformer failure, leading to the closure of systems as a safety measure. The airport had to restructure power supplies from two remaining substations to restore electricity for its operations. Despite the significant impact of the incident, the airport reopened with a focus on repatriation flights for affected passengers.
Several airlines, including British Airways, Air Canada, and United Airlines, announced the resumption of scheduled flights to and from Heathrow following the reopening. Around 200,000 passengers were affected by the closure of Europe’s busiest airport. Heathrow Airport confirmed it was fully operational and had additional staff on hand to assist affected passengers. Passengers were advised to check with their airlines for the latest flight information.