An interim report has stated that the root cause of the fire that led to the shutdown of Heathrow Airport, affecting hundreds of thousands of journeys worldwide, remains unknown. The report, released by the National Energy System Operator (Neso), revealed that a transformer disconnected and caught fire at a nearby electrical substation in Hayes, west London. The final report is expected to be released by the end of June, providing more clarity on what caused the fire.
The Metropolitan Police’s counter-terrorism unit initially investigated the fire at the substation, but no evidence of suspicious activity was found. The power outage and subsequent closure of Heathrow disrupted over 270,000 journeys. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband ordered an urgent investigation into the incident to prevent future occurrences and requested Neso to provide its initial findings within six weeks. Criticism has been directed towards Heathrow’s management for the decision to close the airport and the extended shutdown period.
Detailed information from Neso revealed that the fire at the North Hyde substation began at 23:21 GMT on March 20, resulting in a simultaneous loss of connection to numerous customers, including Heathrow Airport. Heated discussions followed, leading to the closure of the airport at 01:11 the following morning. Neso’s chief executive emphasized the importance of learning from this incident to prevent future disruptions and effectively manage any emergencies that may arise.
Power was gradually restored to Heathrow’s terminals using alternative circuits from a nearby substation, and flights only resumed after safety checks were completed later in the day. Despite criticisms and challenges faced, Heathrow emphasized the importance of safety and practicality in the effort to reopen the airport following the fire. The restoration of power to the airport was accompanied by extensive safety checking processes to ensure that critical systems were operational, signaling a commitment to passenger safety and overall efficiency in the airport’s operations
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