Heathrow Airport Power Outage Linked to 7-Year-Old Fault, Report Reveals

A major fire that caused a power outage at Heathrow Airport, leading to flight cancellations and widespread disruption, was triggered by a fault first detected seven years ago, according to a report by the National Energy System Operator (NESO).

The report confirmed that moisture entered critical components at the North Hyde electrical substation, which is a vital source of power for Heathrow. The moisture led to a short circuit, sparking a fire that caused the UK’s busiest airport to shut down.

What Caused the Fire?

The NESO report found that the fault was related to the bushing – a mechanical device used to manage energy flow between electrical components. Moisture inside the bushing likely caused a short circuit, which then arced, creating sparks that ignited the surrounding oil and resulted in a large fire.

The issue that led to the fire had been identified in 2018 but remained unaddressed, raising serious concerns about maintenance and risk management by energy infrastructure providers.

Impact of the Outage

The power outage affected 66,919 customers, including Heathrow Airport. NESO estimates that around 270,000 passenger journeys were disrupted due to cancelled or delayed flights. The airport remained shut the day after the incident, causing major travel chaos for both domestic and international travellers.

Heathrow’s Response

In a strong statement following the release of the report, Heathrow Airport blamed the crisis on multiple failures: “A combination of outdated regulation, inadequate safety mechanisms, and National Grid’s failure to maintain its infrastructure led to this catastrophic power outage,” the airport said.