Heathrow resumes operations; several flyers still stuck

LONDON: London Heathrow Airport said it was “fully operational” on Saturday, after an almost day-long closure sparked by an electrical substation fire. But thousands of passengers remained stuck, and airlines warned that severe disruption will last for days as they scramble to relocate planes and crews and get travellers to their destinations.
Friday’s travel mayhem raised concerns about Britain’s ability to withstand disasters or attacks on critical infrastructure. Inconvenienced passengers, angry airlines and concerned politicians all want answers about how one seemingly accidental fire could shut down Europe’s busiest air hub.
“This is a huge embarrassment for Heathrow airport. It’s a huge embarrassment for the country that a fire in one electricity substation can have such a devastating effect,” said Toby Harris, a Labour Party politician who heads the National Preparedness Commission, a group that campaigns to improve resilience.
Heathrow said it had “hundreds of additional colleagues on hand in our terminals and we have added flights to today’s schedule to facilitate an extra 10,000 passengers.” It advised passengers to check with their airline before going to the airport.
British Airways, Heathrow’s biggest airline, said it expected to operate about 85% of its 600 scheduled flights at the airport on Saturday. It said that “to recover an operation of our size after such a significant incident is extremely complex.” While many passengers managed to resume stalled journeys, others remained in limbo.
More than 1,300 flights were cancelled and some 200,000 people stranded Friday after an overnight fire at a substation 3.2km from the airport cut power to Heathrow, and to more than 60,000 properties. ”