Heathrow Airport experienced a significant closure on March 21 due to a fire at a substation, which disrupted travel for nearly 300,000 passengers. Nigel Wicking, the head of the Heathrow Airline Operators’ Committee, had raised concerns about the resilience of the airport’s power sources days prior to the incident. He specifically highlighted issues related to the theft of wires and cables that had already led to temporary runway light failures, critical for passenger safety.
Heathrow CEO Thomas Waldy expressed regret for the disruption, acknowledging the unprecedented nature of the situation. He noted that the airport was aware of losing power as early as that Friday, and officials responded by prioritizing safety protocols to ensure no passengers were in danger.
The airport relies on three substations for power; losing one led to the closure. Although critical safety systems were activated, Waldy emphasized the need for all systems to be operational before reopening. Wicking suggested that Terminal 5 could have reopened sooner, pointing out that British Airways operations were nearly back to normal by 10 AM on the day of the incident.
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