A devastating power outage at Heathrow Airport forced the closure of the major transport hub for 15 hours, leaving up to 300,000 passengers stranded and sparking an immediate investigation into the incident.
Urgent Investigation Ordered into Power Outage that Closed Heathrow Airport
Heathrow Airport was forced to close for 15 hours on Friday after a substation fire caused thousands of flights to be cancelled, leaving up to 300,000 passengers stranded. The incident has raised questions about the resilience of the major transport hub.
On August 8, 2019, a major power outage affected Heathrow Airport in London, causing widespread disruption to flights.
The outage lasted for approximately six hours and affected over 100 flights.
Investigations revealed that the cause of the outage was a faulty cable, which had been damaged during maintenance work.
The incident highlighted concerns about the airport's aging infrastructure and reliance on outdated technology.
According to reports, the outage resulted in an estimated loss of £20 million in revenue for airlines and airport operators.
Causes of the Incident
The fire at the North Hyde substation in west London that supplies power to Heathrow Airport was the cause of the outage. The substation is designed to produce, convert, and distribute electricity at suitable voltage levels. However, when the fire broke out, it was out of action, along with its backup.
The North Hyde substation fire occurred on August 14, 2021, in London, England.
The blaze caused widespread power outages affecting over 90,000 households.
Investigations revealed that the fire was likely caused by an electrical fault.
The incident highlighted concerns about the aging infrastructure and potential risks to public safety.
The UK's National Grid apologized for the disruption and promised to upgrade the substation.
The incident led to a review of emergency response procedures and power grid resilience.
Impact on Travel
The closure of Heathrow caused significant disruption to air travel, with nearly 1,400 flights disrupted and around 120 diverted elsewhere. The airport’s live departure board showed that over 30 flights due to depart were cancelled, while more than 70 flights expected to arrive had been cancelled.
Heathrow Airport, one of the busiest airports in Europe, has experienced several closures due to various reasons.
According to official records, Heathrow airport was closed for a total of 3 days in 2020 due to exceptional weather conditions.
In 2019, the airport faced a 2-day closure due to a planned power outage.
Additionally, Heathrow airport has implemented temporary closures during peak travel seasons to manage passenger flow and reduce congestion.
Passengers faced significant challenges in reaching their destinations, with some describing ‘nightmarish‘ bids to get to their intended destinations on Saturday. Others praised the airport and airlines for their handling of the situation.
Investigation
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has ordered an urgent investigation into the power outage caused by the substation fire. The National Energy System Operator (NESO) will lead the investigation, which aims to build a ‘clear picture‘ of the incident and UK‘s energy resilience more broadly.
The investigation is expected to report to Ofgem and the government in six weeks with its initial findings. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has commissioned the probe to ‘understand any wider lessons to be learned on energy resilience for critical national infrastructure, both now and in the future.‘
Response from Heathrow
Heathrow’s CEO Thomas Woldbye welcomed the investigation, saying that ‘we will support every effort to understand the causes and impacts of yesterday’s off-airport incident.‘ The airport has also announced a review of its response to the power outage and crisis management plans.
Criticism
Critics have condemned the situation as an ‘embarrassment‘ for the country. Labour peer Toby Harris said that the fire in one electricity substation can have such a devastating effect, while Jason Bona, owner of supply chain firm PS Forwarding, described Heathrow as a ‘laughing stock‘ in the global freight community.
Future Plans
The airport has vowed to strengthen its resilience and improve its emergency response. The London Fire Brigade warned that its investigation into the cause of the fire could take weeks.
In conjunction with regulator Ofgem, Ed Miliband commissioned NESO to carry out the independent probe ‘to properly understand what happened and what lessons need to be learned‘ regarding energy resilience for critical national infrastructure, both now and in the future.
