Warnings Issued Before Heathrow's Power Crisis

Heathrow Airport's management was alerted to potential electrical substation vulnerabilities just days before a catastrophic power outage forced a full-day closure of the airport. Nigel Wicking, chief executive of the Heathrow Airline Operators' Committee, disclosed to the Transport Committee that he had expressed concerns about the airport's electrical resilience on March 15, following an incident affecting runway lighting.

The Aftermath of the Substation Fire

An electrical substation fire in western London last month plunged Europe's busiest airport into darkness for 24 hours, disrupting travel plans for around 300,000 travelers. The incident underscores the critical need for infrastructure resilience at major transport hubs.