Early Warnings and Concerns
Nigel Wicking, representing the Heathrow Airline Operators' Committee, raised concerns about the airport's power supply resilience to Heathrow officials on March 15 and 19, citing incidents of cable theft affecting runway lights.
Despite these warnings, a fire at the North Hyde electrical substation on March 20 led to a significant power outage, disrupting over 270,000 passenger journeys and closing the airport until about 6 p.m. on March 21.
Responses and Criticisms
Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye defended the 24-hour closure, stating it was necessary for safety due to the power outage affecting critical systems like CCTV and fire surveillance, and risking thousands of passengers being stranded.
Wicking criticized the speed of the decision-making process regarding the airport's alternative power supplies, suggesting that Terminal 5 could have resumed operations much earlier, and that the closure decision should have been constantly reviewed.