Overview

• The Kelly Review found that closing Heathrow after the North Hyde substation fire was the correct decision but highlighted that CEO Thomas Woldbye was unreachable for more than seven hours due to a muted phone.
• Ruth Kelly’s panel issued 28 recommendations, including a secondary contact method for key executives and upgraded back-up generators and network resilience.
• Heathrow has accepted all recommendations and committed to implementing comprehensive improvements to its emergency preparedness and power infrastructure.
• Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss and Emirates chief Sir Tim Clark publicly criticized the airport’s crisis response, and airlines have demanded compensation for thousands of delayed and cancelled flights.
• Heathrow plans to seek reimbursement from National Grid and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks for losses incurred during the near-24-hour closure.