Overview

• A fire at an electrical substation in Hayes led to a power outage, forcing Heathrow Airport to close temporarily and cancel over 1,300 flights.
• Flight operations resumed gradually on Friday evening, with full restoration achieved by Saturday morning, though some delays persist.
• The incident affected more than 200,000 passengers worldwide and caused significant disruptions to global air travel, with flights rerouted to cities like Frankfurt, Paris, and Dublin.
• Investigations into the fire's cause continue, with authorities ruling out sabotage for now; the Anti-Terror Unit remains involved due to the infrastructure's critical nature.
• The event has raised concerns about Heathrow's reliance on a single power source and the adequacy of its contingency planning, prompting calls for improved infrastructure resilience.