Heathrow Airport announced Friday night that it will restart flights after a power outage there, causing one of the world’s busiest airports to be closed completely.
In a series of posts on X, airport authorities noted that it is prioritizing repatriation and relocation of aircraft and is now able to “safely restart flights.”
The airport added that it hopes to be fully operational on March 22 and apologizes for the inconvenience it has caused.
“Since the incident, our team has been working tirelessly to ensure a quick recovery. Now we can restart our flights safely, prioritizing repatriation and relocation of the aircraft. Do not head to the airport unless your airline recommends you do so.”
“We hope to be fully operational tomorrow and will provide further information as soon as possible. Our priority remains the safety of passengers and airport staff. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this incident. (2/2)”
According to media reports, the power outage lasted for 15 hours, making it one of the busiest airports in the world.
The New York Times quoted Heathrow’s CEO Thomas Woldbye, who called power outages and disruptions at the UK’s largest airport “unprecedented”. He vowed that the airport will reach 100% operation on Saturday, although the ripple of shutdowns is expected to cause delays for travelers throughout the weekend.
Airport authorities announced that London’s Heathrow Airport Airport announced on Friday that it had been completely closed all day due to a fire in the electrical substation supplied to the airport.
Airport authorities said in a statement posted on its X account that the airport will remain closed to keep its passengers and colleagues safe.
It said in an update shared by the London Fire Department in a high-voltage substation near Heathrow Airport, it said: “The fire involved a transformer that included a 25,000-liter transformer with 25,000-liter cooling oil. This created a major danger. Due to the high power equipment still present and the distance caused by the nearest distance, there are five more places far away, and five more places far away, and the distance has been maintained. Resolved.”
The remarks were made by Jonathan Smith, deputy commissioner of the London Fire Brigade (LFB), who also noted that investigations were being conducted to determine the cause of the fire. “With the support of scientific advisers, London Fire Investigators have been working closely with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPS) to investigate the cause of the fire. Members of Congress have confirmed that the fire is believed to be unquestionable. The LFB’s investigation will now focus on electrical distribution equipment.”
