London Heathrow airport now 'fully operational' after electricity station fire

London Heathrow Airport had been shut down for 18 hours on Friday after a fire at a nearby electrical substation. However, airlines warned that disruptions would continue for days as they worked to get planes, crews, and passengers back on track.

Heathrow’s chief executive praised the airport’s response, but frustrated passengers, airlines, and politicians questioned how a single fire could bring Europe’s busiest airport to a halt.

“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 traveling through the airport,” Heathrow said, advising travellers to check with their airlines before heading to the airport.

British Airways, the airport’s biggest airline, planned to operate about 85% of its 600 scheduled flights on Saturday. The airline said recovering from such a major incident was “extremely complex.”

The fire broke out at a substation 3.2 km from Heathrow, cutting power to the airport and over 60,000 properties. On Friday, more than 1,300 flights were cancelled, leaving around 200,000 people stranded.

West London residents reported hearing a loud explosion and seeing a fireball and thick smoke. Firefighters brought the blaze under control in seven hours, but Heathrow remained mostly closed for nearly 18 hours. A few flights resumed late on Friday.

Authorities do not consider the fire suspicious. The London Fire Brigade is investigating the substation’s electrical system.

The disruption sparked criticism of Britain’s infrastructure, with concerns that it is unprepared for emergencies. The government said a full investigation is needed to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye defended the