Power loss shuts London airport, grounds over 1,000 flights

Officials in Britain on Friday closed Europe’s busiest airport after a fire at a nearby electrical substation cut power to the facility. Heathrow Airport was expected to remain closed through the end of Friday and officials told people not to travel to the airport since all arriving and departing flights were canceled or diverted. About 1,350 flights were previously scheduled to move through the airport Friday, according to flight-tracking website FlightRadar24. Some of those flights were diverted to other airports in London, to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, or Shannon Airport in Ireland.

What caused the fire? Authorities had not determined what sparked the fire and London Metropolitan Police were assisting fire officials with the investigation. Police said Friday morning there was no indication of foul play, but they were keeping their minds open. The police department’s counterterrorism unit is leading the probe because of the electrical substation’s location and the impact of the incident on the country’s infrastructure.

Where are the firefighters? About 70 fire department personnel responded to the fire Thursday night and firefighters evacuated 29 people from properties near the fire. The incident cut power to 67,000 households and by Friday morning about 5,000 homes were still without electricity, as were Terminals 2 and 4 at the airport, according to the fire department. Officials had not reported any injuries as of Friday morning.

What have officials said? London Mayor Sadiq Khan and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer thanked emergency crews for responding to the fire. Power utilities were working to restore power, though Heathrow Airport warned the disruptions could persist for several days, Khan said. British Airways canceled all short-haul flights Friday. Virgin Atlantic said it was reviewing its flight schedule and urged passengers not to travel to the airport. 

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