Heathrow Closure Sparks Global Aviation Disruption, Costing Millions

London’s Heathrow Airport faced an unprecedented shutdown after a fire at a nearby electrical substation caused a total power outage, affecting backup systems and grounding all 1,332 scheduled flights on Friday. Experts estimate the disruption could cost the aviation sector around £20 million ($26 million) per day, with ripple effects expected to last for days. The incident, described as the worst since the 2010 Icelandic ash cloud crisis, forced planes to divert across Europe and left thousands of passengers stranded.

Aviation and risk management experts criticized Heathrow’s contingency planning, questioning why better backup power measures were not in place at one of the world’s busiest airports. Heathrow had previously declared itself a leader in airfield resilience, but the failure to prevent a full shutdown has sparked concerns over vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure. British authorities are investigating the incident, though initial reports suggest no foul play.

The disruption has also drawn attention to contingency planning at other major airports worldwide. Aviation analysts warn that repositioning aircraft and crew will extend the impact for several days, with British Airways highlighting Heathrow’s chronic overcapacity issues. Similar outages in Britain’s air traffic control system in 2023 resulted in losses exceeding £100 million, further underscoring the need for improved resilience in global aviation hubs.

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