Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Heathrow back in operation after fire shut down Europe’s busiest airport

heathrow-british-airways-Reuters

A passenger plane makes its landing approach to Heathrow International Airport, a day after a fire at a nearby electrical substation wiped out power at the airport. (Photo: Reuters)

Reuters

LONDON's Heathrow Airport resumed full operations on Saturday after a fire at an electrical substation knocked out power and led to a shutdown of the airport, causing widespread travel disruption.

The closure of Europe’s busiest airport left tens of thousands of passengers stranded as airlines scrambled to reroute flights and adjust schedules. Some flights resumed on Friday evening, but the shutdown for most of the day forced travellers to search for alternative flights and accommodation while airlines worked to reposition aircraft and crews.


A Heathrow spokesperson said teams were assisting affected passengers and additional flights had been scheduled. “We have hundreds of additional colleagues on hand in our terminals and we have added flights to today’s schedule to facilitate an extra 10,000 passengers travelling through the airport,” the spokesperson said.

The disruption raised concerns over how a key infrastructure failure occurred without backup. “It is a clear planning failure by the airport,” said Willie Walsh, head of global airline body IATA and former British Airways chief, who has been a longtime critic of Heathrow.

On Friday, Heathrow had been scheduled to handle 1,351 flights with up to 291,000 passengers. Flights were diverted to other UK and European airports, while some long-haul services returned to their point of departure.

Heathrow Chief Executive Thomas Woldbye said the airport was expected to be fully operational on Saturday. When asked who would cover the disruption costs, he said, “We don’t have liabilities in place for incidents like this,” but added that “procedures are in place.”

To ease congestion, Britain’s Department for Transport temporarily lifted restrictions on overnight flights. However, British Airways chief executive Sean Doyle said the disruption would have a “huge impact on all of our customers flying with us over the coming days.”

Virgin Atlantic stated it expected to operate “a near full schedule” with limited cancellations on Saturday, but said the situation remained dynamic and under review.

Airlines affected by the closure included JetBlue, American Airlines, Air Canada, Air India, Delta Air Lines, Qantas, United Airlines, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic, according to flight analytics firm Cirium.

Shares in several airlines dropped on Friday following the disruption.

Aviation experts compared the scale of the incident to the 2010 Icelandic volcanic ash cloud, which grounded around 100,000 flights.

Some passengers who landed in European airports may have to stay in transit if they lack the necessary documents to exit.
Hotel prices near Heathrow surged, with some rooms listed at £500, about five times the usual rate.

Police said they were not treating the fire at the power substation as suspicious after an initial assessment, though investigations continued. The London Fire Brigade said it would focus its inquiry on the electrical distribution equipment.

Heathrow and other major London airports have faced similar incidents in recent years, including an automated gate failure and an air traffic control system outage in 2023.

(With inputs from agencies)

More For You

Sheikh Hasina

Hasina left for India at the end of the student-led protests and has not returned to Dhaka, where her trial for alleged crimes against humanity began on June 1. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Leaked audio suggests Hasina ordered use of force during 2024 protests

SOME leaked audio recordings suggest Bangladesh’s former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently on trial in absentia, ordered a deadly crackdown on protests last year.

According to the United Nations, up to 1,400 people were killed between July and August 2024 when Hasina's government cracked down on demonstrators during an attempt to stay in power.

Keep ReadingShow less
Doctors' strike

The doctors had previously accepted a 22 per cent pay rise covering 2023 to 2025, which brought an end to earlier rounds of strikes.

Getty Images

England's resident doctors announce five-day strike over pay dispute

JUNIOR doctors in England will go on strike from 25 to 30 July, their union said on Wednesday, after the British government said it could not meet their demand for an improved pay offer this year.

The doctors, also known as resident doctors, make up a large part of the medical workforce. They were offered an average 5.4 per cent pay rise but are seeking 29 per cent, saying this is needed to reverse years of real-terms pay erosion.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi set for UK visit to sign free trade agreement

FILE PHOTO: Keir Starmer (L) with Narendra Modi. (Photo: Getty Images)

Modi set for UK visit to sign free trade agreement

INDIA's prime minister Narendra Modi is likely to travel to the UK by the end of this month for a visit that could see both sides formally sign the landmark India-UK free trade agreement and explore ways to expand bilateral ties in the defence and security sphere, diplomatic sources said.

Both sides are in the process of finalising the dates for Modi's visit to the country by the end of July or the first part of August, they said.

Keep ReadingShow less
gill-bumrah-archer-getty

Bumrah returns to bolster India's attack, Gill eyes more records, while Archer boosts England's hopes at Lord's. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

3rd Test: India confident after big win, England turn to Archer at Lord's

Highlights:

 
     
  • India levelled the series 1-1 with a 336-run win at Edgbaston
  •  
  • Shubman Gill has scored 585 runs in two Tests as captain
  •  
  • Jofra Archer set for first Test appearance since 2021; Bumrah returns for India

INDIA will look to continue their strong form when they face England in the third Test at Lord's starting Thursday. After losing the first Test at Headingley, India bounced back to level the five-match series 1-1 with a 336-run win at Edgbaston.

Keep ReadingShow less
 Post Office Horizon

A Post Office van parked outside the venue for the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry at Aldwych House on January 11, 2024 in London.

Getty Images

Post Office scandal linked to 13 suicides, says inquiry

Highlights:

 
     
  • Public inquiry finds up to 13 suicides linked to wrongful Post Office prosecutions.
  •  
  • Horizon IT system faults led to false accusations, financial ruin, and imprisonment.
  •  
  • Sir Wyn Williams says Post Office maintained a “fiction” of accurate data despite known faults.

A PUBLIC inquiry has found that up to 13 people may have taken their own lives after being wrongly accused of financial misconduct by the Post Office, in what is now described as one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British history.

Keep ReadingShow less