Overview

• A fire at the North Hyde substation in Hayes on March 21 caused a significant power outage at Heathrow Airport, leading to its 24-hour closure.
• The National Grid stated that Heathrow had sufficient power from two remaining substations, raising questions about the necessity of the shutdown.
• Heathrow cited safety concerns and the need to reconfigure internal power systems as reasons for the closure, despite the available power supply.
• The UK government, Heathrow, and the London Fire Brigade have launched investigations into the incident and the airport's crisis response, with initial findings expected within six weeks.
• The closure disrupted over 1,300 flights and affected 200,000 passengers, with airlines criticizing Heathrow's handling of the situation and its reliance on limited power sources.