99% capacity, 100% shutdown: how Heathrow’s infrastructure fell apart

A raging fire at an electrical substation near Heathrow Airport has forced a complete shutdown of one of the world’s busiest travel hubs, leaving passengers stranded and disrupting flights across the globe. The blaze, which erupted late Thursday night, wiped out power to the airport, making it impossible for flights to land or take off.

What caused the Heathrow fire?

As rumors swirl over a potential planned attack, authorities have been quick to emphasize that there is currently no evidence of foul play, though the UK’s counter-terrorism unit is leading the investigation due to the critical nature of the incident. London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed that while they are keeping an “open mind,” there is no immediate suggestion of criminal intent. Not that that has slowed down the speculation, with Russia front of many minds.

Footage from the scene showed huge orange flames and thick black smoke billowing into the sky, with firefighters battling through the night to contain the blaze. The fire broke out about 1.5 miles from the airport, at an electrical substation supplying power to Heathrow. With the damage knocking out the airport’s entire energy supply, operations ground to a halt.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office urged caution, stating that it was “too early to speculate” on the cause. Energy Minister Ed Miliband echoed this, saying there was nothing yet to suggest intentional sabotage.

The global impact of Heathrow’s shutdown

The closure of Heathrow for an entire day has triggered a ripple effect across international travel. As a major hub for 90 airlines serving 230 destinations across nearly 90 countries, Heathrow is central to global air traffic.

February 2025 was the busiest month on record for Heathrow, with 5.7 million passengers passing through its terminals. That scale of traffic means even a 24-hour shutdown can create chaos that could take days to fully resolve.

Flights to and from New York, the airport’s most popular route, have been heavily affected, along with connections across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Stranded travelers have flooded terminals looking for alternative routes, while airlines scramble to reroute flights to other UK airports.

The chaos comes at a time when Heathrow is already under immense strain. Operating at 99% capacity, the airport has been struggling to keep up with demand. In comparison, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt each have four runways, while Amsterdam Schiphol has six - far outpacing Heathrow’s two runways.

What next at Heathrow?

For now, the priority remains restoring power and resuming flights as soon as possible. London Fire Brigade and engineers are working to assess the full extent of the damage, while airlines prepare for a logistical nightmare in rebooking passengers.

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