First Plane Lands in Heathrow after 18 Chaotic Hours
Europe's busiest airport was shut down for 18 hours following the fire earlier today. Millions of passengers around the world heaved a sigh of relief once the first flight landed a short while ago.
A British Airways jet landed at Heathrow Airport late Friday, nearly 18 hours after a massive fire at an electrical substation triggered a power outage that closed Europe’s busiest airport. The blaze, which erupted 2 miles from the airport, disrupted global travel, affecting at least 1,350 flights and stranding hundreds of thousands of passengers. Authorities expect the chaos to linger for days as airlines reposition aircraft and crews.
The fire’s cause remains unknown, though foul play is not suspected, said Energy Secretary Ed Miliband. Counterterrorism detectives are investigating due to the blaze’s impact on critical infrastructure. Residents reported a loud explosion and a fireball, with the London Fire Brigade deploying 70 firefighters to control the seven-hour inferno. Power was cut to 67,000 customers, though most was restored by morning.
Heathrow’s backup power failed to sustain full operations, forcing the closure. Flights were diverted to cities like Glasgow, Paris, and Shannon, Ireland. Passenger Lawrence Hayes, rerouted from New York to Glasgow, faced an exhausting journey home by train. Others, like Mark Doherty, saw their transatlantic flight turn back mid-journey, criticizing the UK’s lack of contingency plans.
The outage drew scrutiny over Britain’s infrastructure resilience. “If one fire can shut down Heathrow, something’s badly wrong,” said Alan Mendoza of the Henry Jackson Society. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson promised a thorough investigation.
Though less severe than the 2010 Eyjafjallajokull volcano disruption, the incident highlighted Heathrow’s vulnerability. The airport, which saw a record 6.3 million passengers in January, reopened late Friday, with British Airways and United Airlines resuming some flights. However, aviation expert Anita Mendiratta warned of a prolonged backlog. For now, travelers remain in limbo, with trains to the airport cancelled and passengers urged to avoid traveling there until normalcy returns.
