Heathrow Airport is once again operational following a 24-hour shutdown triggered by a power outage caused by a fire at an off-airport electricity substation.
Heathrow Airport operations return to full capacity
In a statement issued by the airport, management confirmed that all terminals and car parks are now open, and flights have resumed.
The airport acknowledged the disruption caused by the outage and said teams continue to assist affected passengers.
“Flights have resumed at Heathrow, and we are open and fully operational. All terminals and all car parks are open across Heathrow,” the statement read.
Travellers were urged to check with their airlines for the latest updates regarding specific flights.
The outage began early Friday morning and resulted in the cancellation or diversion of over 1,300 flights.
Power supply issues prompted a temporary suspension of all operations, affecting an estimated 145,000 passengers and forcing aircraft to reroute to alternative international airports, including Gatwick, Amsterdam’s Schiphol, and Paris Charles de Gaulle.
Heathrow authorities cautioned that while normal operations have resumed, residual disruptions are expected throughout the weekend as airlines work to reposition crews and aircraft.
Additional flights were added on Saturday to ease the backlog, according to Sky News.
What’s the impact of the airport shutdown
The economic impact of the shutdown is expected to be extensive. Heathrow Airport, the airlines operating from its terminals, and dependent businesses could collectively lose tens of millions of pounds.
Analysts suggest that beyond financial loss, reputational damage may be a longer-term consequence. The outage coincided with recent government and airport discussions around Heathrow’s expansion, including proposals for a third runway.
Airlines also issued independent alerts outlining the lingering effects. British Airways CEO Sean Doyle described the situation as having a “huge impact” on its customer operations over the coming days.
Virgin Atlantic indicated that it aimed to run a near-full schedule on Saturday, though some flights would still be cancelled.
United Airlines issued a travel alert through to Sunday, while Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways confirmed additional cancellations.
Passengers have been advised to monitor their flight status and maintain contact with their respective airlines, as the travel environment at Heathrow gradually stabilises.
