Heathrow chaos: Fire exposes airport's critical vulnerabilities

London Heathrow Airport, one of the largest in Europe, faces substantial disruptions following a fire at an electrical substation in Hayes. According to reports, the airport will remain closed until midnight Greenwich Time from Friday to Saturday. Aviation expert Julian Bray, speaking to the Polish Press Agency, estimated that the disruptions could last at least a week. Bray emphasised that Heathrow is powered by only one electrical substation, which he described as a "huge mistake."

The expert noted that Heathrow needs to seriously address this problem, as it’s alarming that a single fire can cripple the entire airport without any backup power system in place.

The substation powering the airport was not protected in any way, which, according to Bray, is a serious oversight. There’s no military fencing around it — just a vulnerable, unshielded piece of infrastructure left out in the open.

Disruptions at Heathrow could last at least a week as it will take that long to reorganise flights and services. After this period, the airport expects to return to normal operations. In 2024, Heathrow served 84 million passengers, making it the largest airport in Europe by passenger numbers. Bray expressed hope that the incident would prompt airport authorities to consider adding additional electrical substations.

When asked about the possibility of sabotage, Bray stated that it is too early to assess but emphasised the lack of protection for the substation. "This could have looked like the scene in the 1969 film 'The Italian Job' with Michael Caine," he added, referencing a scene where an electrical substation is shut down by throwing a bicycle into it.

The situation at Heathrow highlights the importance of securing critical infrastructure to avoid similar incidents in the future.