Heathrow Fire Disrupts Flights, Grid Resilience Probed

A fire at the North Hyde substation on March 20 forced the shutdown of Heathrow Airport, canceling over 1,300 flights and disrupting the journeys of approximately 270,000 to 300,000 passengers. The incident also impacted tens of thousands of properties in the surrounding area. According to the National Energy System Operator (Neso), power was restored to all four Heathrow terminals by 10:56am on March 21, but flights resumed only after extensive safety checks were completed around 6pm the same day. Despite a six-week investigation, the root cause of the fire remains unknown, and police have found no evidence of suspicious activity. Heathrow officials are seeking clarity on how the fire started and why multiple transformers were affected, stressing the need for improved grid resilience. Neso’s final report is expected by the end of June.