Heathrow Airport to reopen after substation fire causes global travel turmoil
Britain’s Heathrow Airport says it has begun the process of reopening after a fire knocked out its power supply and shut Europe’s busiest airport for the day, disrupting flights around the world, including those of Qantas.
Thousands of passengers were left stranded by the closure which caused travel turmoil worldwide.
Heathrow, the world’s fifth-busiest airport, was forced to close after a huge fire engulfed a substation near the airport on Thursday night.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“Our teams have worked tirelessly since the incident to ensure a speedy recovery. We’re now safely able to restart flights, prioritising repatriation and relocation of aircraft,” the airport said in a statement on X on Friday afternoon local time.
“We hope to run a full operation tomorrow and will provide further information shortly. Our priority remains the safety of our passengers and those working at the airport. We apologise for the inconvenience caused by this incident.”
The closure not only caused misery for travellers but provoked anger from airlines who questioned how such crucial infrastructure could fail.
The industry is now facing the prospect of a financial hit costing tens of millions of pounds, and a likely fight over who should pay.
“You would think they would have significant back-up power,” one top executive from a European airline told Reuters.
Police said that while there was no indication of foul play, they retained an open mind and counter-terrorism officers would lead the inquiries, given their capabilities and the critical nature of the infrastructure.
Airline experts said the last time European airports experienced disruption on such a large scale was the 2010 Icelandic ash cloud that grounded some 100,000 flights.
Heathrow serves more than 230 destinations in nearly 90 countries with ninety airlines having made the international hub their base, including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Lufthansa.
According to the group’s traffic summary, 5.7 million passengers travelled through Heathrow in February 2025, making it the busiest February on record.
Passenger numbers amounted to 84.1 million from March 2024 to February 2025.
