Heathrow Airport Reopens After Major Fire Disrupts Flights for 18 Hours
Heathrow Airport, Europe's busiest aviation hub, has resumed operations after a significant disruption caused by a fire at an electrical substation. The fire, which erupted just before midnight on Thursday, knocked out power to the airport for approximately 18 hours, stranding around 200,000 passengers and forcing the cancellation or rerouting of at least 1,350 flights.
The blaze, located about two miles from the airport, required around seven hours for firefighters to control. Although authorities have not found any evidence of foul play, the Metropolitan Police's counterterrorism unit is leading the investigation due to the critical nature of the event. While the cause is still uncertain, an inquiry will focus on the electrical distribution equipment at the substation.
In light of the situation, the British government temporarily lifted overnight flight restrictions to assist airlines in clearing the backlog of flights. Shortly after power was restored, British Airways' flight from an unknown location landed just before sunset on Friday, marking the beginning of arrivals at the airport after the reopening.
Residents of west London reported hearing a loud explosion followed by a fireball, after which smoke filled the area. Depending on their location, some flights that were in the air at the time of the airport closure turned back or were diverted to alternate airports such as Gatwick and Charles de Gaulle.
The disruption is being compared to the crisis experienced during the 2010 eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which had widespread effects on European air travel. Although Heathrow had implemented emergency backup power systems, they were inadequate for the full operation of the airport, leading airport executives to assert that the incident was unprecedented.
Criticism regarding Britain's preparedness for such emergencies has surfaced, with security experts suggesting that the nation's critical infrastructure lacks sufficient robustness for future scenarios. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's spokesperson emphasized that a thorough investigation is necessary to prevent this scale of disruption from reoccurring.
As operations returned to normal, airlines began to mobilize for long-haul flights that had been stalled by the power failure. However, experts warn that the process of resolving travel disruptions will take several days as airlines attempt to reorganize their logistics. This situation is compounded by travelers who were stranded in other cities and now require onward transport to London.
As normality resumes, many in the local community near Heathrow remarked on the increased quiet, illustrating the stark contrast to the usual cacophony of travel that they have grown accustomed to.
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