London Heathrow Airport has returned to normal operations after a daylong closure sparked travel chaos, but the incident has raised concerns about the UK’s energy resilience and the need for a more robust backup system.
Flights Resume at London Heathrow After Daylong Closure Sparked Travel Chaos
The British government has ordered an investigation into the country’s ‘energy resilience‘ after a fire at an electrical substation shut down London Heathrow Airport for almost a day, raising concerns about the UK‘s ability to withstand disasters or attacks on critical infrastructure.
Located in West London, Heathrow Airport is the UK's largest international airport and one of the busiest airports in the world.
It serves over 80 million passengers annually, making it a significant gateway for global travel.
With six terminals and two runways, Heathrow offers flights to over 180 destinations worldwide.
The airport has undergone several expansions and renovations, including the construction of Terminal 5 in 2008.
Heathrow is also a major cargo hub, handling over 1.7 million tons of freight annually.
Despite the airport’s assurance that it was now fully operational, thousands of passengers remained stranded, and airlines warned that severe disruption would last for days as they scrambled to relocate planes, crews, and travelers.
The fire at the North Hyde electrical substation occurred overnight and brought the airport to a standstill. A handful of flights were able to take off and land late on Friday, but many others were forced to divert to other airports in different countries.
Passengers took to social media to express their frustration and disappointment at being stranded due to the airport’s failure to have a backup plan in place.
Passenger frustration has increased in recent years due to various factors.
A study found that 75% of passengers experience frustration while traveling, with delays and cancellations being the primary causes.
Additionally, inadequate communication from airlines and poor airport facilities contribute to passenger dissatisfaction.
According to a survey, 60% of passengers feel that airlines could improve their services to reduce frustration.
‘This is typical England – got no back-up plan for something like this. There’s no contingency plan,’ said Mark Doherty, who was halfway across the Atlantic when his flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport to Heathrow was returning to New York.
The incident has raised questions about the UK’s energy infrastructure and the need for a more robust backup system.
‘Heathrow has very little incentive to improve because airlines, not the airport, have to pay the cost of looking after disrupted passengers,’ said Willie Walsh, head of aviation trade organization IATA.
Walsh added that the episode ‘begs some serious questions’ about how critical infrastructure is dependent on a single power source without an alternative.
Energy resilience refers to a community's ability to withstand and recover from disruptions in energy supply.
This can be due to natural disasters, infrastructure failures, or cyber-attacks.
Building energy resilience involves investing in decentralized renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, and implementing 'energy storage systems like batteries'.
According to the US Department of Energy, communities with high energy resilience experience reduced economic losses during disruptions, improved public health, and enhanced quality of life.
The UK government has vowed to improve its energy network and reduce carbon emissions through investment in wind and other renewable power sources.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said he had asked the National Energy System Operator to urgently investigate the fire and understand any wider lessons that can be learned about energy resilience for critical national infrastructure.
A review of the incident is also underway, led by former transport secretary Ruth Kelly, a member of Heathrow’s board. The review will examine the airport’s crisis management plans, its response during the incident, and how it recovered.
Heathrow Airport has been one of the busiest airports in the world for international travel, serving 83.9 million passengers last year.
Chief executive Thomas Woldbye said he was proud of the way airport and airline staff had responded to the incident.
‘The airport didn’t shut for days. We shut for hours,’ Woldbye told the BBC.
However, Woldbye acknowledged that Heathrow’s backup power supply, designed for emergencies, was not enough to run the entire airport, which uses as much energy as a small city.
‘That’s how most airports operate,’ Woldbye said. ‘The same would happen in other airports faced with a similar blaze.’
