Chaos at Heathrow: Power Outage Halts Flights

A major power outage caused by a fire at a substation near Heathrow Airport led to widespread flight disruptions. The incident, which started late Thursday, forced the airport to shut down completely, affecting thousands of passengers and flights. The fire, which involved a transformer containing a large amount of cooling oil, caused significant smoke and concern among local residents. More than 100 people were evacuated from their homes due to the blaze. The power outage affected not only the airport but also around 16, 000 homes in the surrounding area. This incident highlights the vulnerability of modern infrastructure to such events. The London Fire Brigade received over 200 calls about the fire, which was a major conflagration. The Metropolitan Police are investigating the cause of the fire, but there is no evidence of foul play so far. Heathrow Airport, Europe's busiest, typically handles around 200, 000 passengers daily. The disruption affected numerous international airlines, with many flights being diverted or canceled. For instance, United Airlines had to return several flights to their origin airports, while Qantas diverted planes to Paris. The impact on British Airways, which relies heavily on Heathrow, was particularly severe. The airport announced late Friday that it would partially reopen, prioritizing the repatriation and relocation of aircraft. Passengers were advised not to travel to the airport unless instructed by their airlines. The incident serves as a reminder of the complexities involved in managing such a large and crucial transportation hub. The airport's teams worked tirelessly to restore services, but the disruption is expected to last for several days. This event also draws parallels to a similar incident in 2023, when a problem with the U. K. 's air traffic control system caused widespread delays. Such incidents underscore the need for robust contingency plans and infrastructure resilience. The British government's recent approval of plans to build a third runway at Heathrow aims to boost economic growth, but events like these highlight the challenges that still need to be addressed.