London’s Heathrow Airport has reopened following a major power outage caused by a nearby fire, but travelers are being warned to brace for continued delays as airlines work to restore
operations and assist stranded passengers.
The airport — Europe’s busiest — was forced to close for most of Friday after a fire at a nearby electrical substation knocked out power, leading to the cancellation of over 800 flights, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware.
While the first flights resumed late Friday night, Heathrow officials confirmed Saturday that operations are gradually returning to normal.
“Flights have resumed at Heathrow following yesterday’s power outage,” the airport said on its website. “If you’re due to travel today, please check with your airline for the latest updates before heading to the airport. We apologize for the disruption and thank you for your patience.”
Power restored, investigation underway
National Grid reported that full power had been restored to all affected areas, including Heathrow. In a statement, the company expressed regret over the incident and said it was taking steps to strengthen the resilience of its network.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. While there’s currently no evidence of criminal activity, London’s Metropolitan Police said the incident’s impact on critical infrastructure has prompted its Counter Terrorism Command to lead the inquiry.
“Given the location of the substation and the scale of the disruption, our Counter Terrorism Command is now handling the investigation,” the force said on social media.
Airlines work to rebook and recover
Airlines are scrambling to resume normal service and accommodate the thousands of passengers impacted by the cancellations. British Airways, which bore the brunt of Friday’s disruption, said it expects to operate most of its Saturday schedule but acknowledged delays are likely.
“We anticipate that around 85% of our Saturday, March 22 schedule at Heathrow will operate as planned,” the airline said. “However, due to the complexity of resuming operations on this scale, customers should still expect delays.”
British Airways also offered flexible rebooking options, allowing passengers to change travel dates free of charge.
Virgin Atlantic said it would operate a “near-full schedule” on Saturday, with only minimal cancellations.
Questions raised over infrastructure dependence
Heathrow typically handles around 1,300 daily takeoffs and landings and served a record 83.9 million passengers in 2024 — nearly 6% more than the year before. The incident has sparked criticism over the airport's reliance on a single power source.
Willie Walsh, former CEO of British Airways’ parent company IAG and now head of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), called the situation a “total planning failure.”
“This event highlights a serious vulnerability,” Walsh said. “Airlines are always the ones footing the bill when infrastructure fails. That has to change. Until there's a fairer system in place, there’s little incentive for Heathrow to improve.” Photo by Ed Webster, Wikimedia commons.