Heathrow Blackout: Fire Paralyzes Europe's Largest Airport

Un A large fire broke out at an electrical substation near Heathrow Airport, causing a blackout unprecedented, forcing authorities to close Europe's busiest air hub. LThe power outage has caused the cancellation of more than 1.351 flights and disruption to around 300.000 passengers, with repercussions on a global scaleand that could last for days.

The fire: causes and intervention of the firefighters

The fire started in the Hayes electrical substation, West LondonThe flames, visible from several kilometers away, they requested the immediate intervention of the firefighters. They arrived on site 10 fire engines and about 70 firefighters worked for hours to put out the fire. According to authorities, the fire is now under control, but emergency services remain on site to monitor the situation and ensure the safety of the area.

The accident caused apower outage that left more than 100.000 homes in western London without electricity. Although power has been restored in most areas, around 4.000 homes are still without electricity. The British government has assured that the restoration work will continue without stopping to bring the situation back to normal.

Consequences for travellers: cancelled flights and stranded passengers

The closure of Heathrow has caused the cancellation of at least 1.351 flights, forcing hundreds of thousands of passengers to reconsider their travel plans. According to the flight tracking site Flightradar, cAround 120 flights to Heathrow were in the air when the closure was announced and have been diverted to other airports, including Gatwick, Shannon (Ireland), Frankfurt and Charles de Gaulle in Paris. Some flights even returned to their departure airports.

Airlines are trying to manage the emergency by running extra flights and making more seats available on existing routes. British Airways, the main operator at Heathrow, said the closure of its main hub would have a “significant impact” on passengers and operations. Ryanair and EasyJet have announced extraordinary measures to help stranded passengers.

Prolonged disruptions: long-term effects on air traffic

According to civil aviation analytics firm Cirium, It will take several days before the situation at Heathrow returns to normalThe inconveniences could last up to a week, since Rescheduling flights requires time and coordination between airlinesIndustry experts have likened the crisis to a “limited version of 11/2010” or the closure of European airspace caused by the eruption of an Icelandic volcano in XNUMX.

even the stock market was affected by the event: the Major airline stocks posted significant losses. In particular, the IAG (British Airways, Iberia, Vueling) stock lost 2,17% on the London Stock Exchange, while Lufthansa recorded a 2,42% drop in Frankfurt. Air France-KLM and EasyJet also suffered declines.

British government: 'Unprecedented blackout, no suspicion of malicious intent'

Il British Energy Secretary Ed Miliband called the event “an unprecedented blackout”, stressing that the government is working to quickly restore the airport's operations. At the moment, There are no indications that the fire was caused by a malicious act, although thorough investigations are underway to clarify the causes of the blaze. The chair of the parliamentary transport committee, Ruth Cadbury, said it was “premature” to speculate on any intentional liability.

The blackout has raised questions about the safety and reliability of the airport's power infrastructure. Heathrow, which opened in 1946 and was renamed after the village that was demolished for its construction, It is one of the most congested airport hubs in the worldThe British government recently authorised the construction of a third runway, which could be completed by 2035 to improve the airport's capacity.

The fire at the Hayes electrical substation had a devastating impact on European and global air traffic, highlighting the vulnerability of a busy infrastructure like Heathrow. While authorities work to restore normalcy, travelers will still face several days of inconvenience. Emergency management will be crucial to prevent similar situations from happening in the future.