Heathrow Airport has begun restarting limited flight operations following a day of unprecedented disruption caused by a fire at a nearby electrical substation. The airport has confirmed that repatriation flights for passengers diverted to other European destinations will commence today.
Operations resumed at 4:31pm, with initial services operating from Terminals 3 and 5. Easterly operations are now in effect, with landings taking place on the northern runway (09L) and departures from the southern runway (09R).
A spokesperson for Heathrow Airport said:
"Our teams have worked tirelessly since the incident to ensure a speedy recovery. We’re pleased to say we’re now safely able to begin some flights later today. Our first flights will be repatriation flights and relocating aircraft. Please do not travel to the airport unless your airline has advised you to do so."
Officials also confirmed that they are working closely with airline partners to bring home passengers who were diverted to other airports across Europe. A full operational schedule is expected to resume by tomorrow morning.
‘Power Loss Equivalent to a Mid-Size City’
Heathrow’s Chief Executive Thomas Woldbye described the scale of the disruption as "unprecedented," revealing that the substation fire caused a power outage comparable to that of an entire mid-size city.
"This is as big as it gets for our airport," Woldbye said in a statement. "We are deeply sorry for the disruption caused — it was the result of outside factors, and we could not safely operate the airport."
He added: "We would never dream of shutting down Heathrow unless absolutely necessary. It was a very difficult decision, but safety had to come first. We are coming back fast, and we expect to be back in full operation tomorrow morning."
Transport Secretary: ‘An Absolutely Unprecedented Situation’
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander also addressed the incident, calling it "an absolutely unprecedented situation."
"This has been an incident outside Heathrow’s control," she said. "We need to understand what caused a fire of this magnitude at an electricity substation located so close to a critical piece of national infrastructure."
Although counter-terrorism officers from the Metropolitan Police are assisting with the investigation, Alexander stressed there is currently no suggestion of foul play.
"The Counter Terrorism Command has specific capabilities that make it well suited to conduct this investigation swiftly and thoroughly," she said. "While the investigation remains open-minded, there is no current evidence indicating sabotage or malicious intent."
Passengers Advised to Await Airline Instructions
Heathrow has urged passengers not to travel to the airport unless specifically instructed to do so by their airline. The airport is now prioritising repatriation and aircraft repositioning ahead of a planned full resumption of services.
Meanwhile, dramatic footage captured by passersby late Wednesday night showed flames lighting up the sky above the North Hyde substation, with drivers pulling over on the Hayes Bypass to witness the fire.
One eyewitness said:
"We saw it from the M4 — it was unbelievable. As we got closer, the fire just kept getting bigger. Dozens of cars pulled over to watch. I’ve never seen anything like it."
The London Fire Brigade received 212 emergency calls and deployed ten fire engines to tackle the blaze, which involved a transformer containing 25,000 litres of cooling oil. A full fire investigation remains underway.
Recovery Efforts Continue
As engineering teams work to restore full power and assess damage, the focus now shifts to minimising further disruption and restoring normal service.
Passengers are advised to check with their airlines before travelling and continue to monitor updates from Heathrow’s official channels.
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