An interim investigation has revealed that power was restored to all four terminals at Heathrow Airport seven hours before flights resumed, following a substation fire. The National Energy System Operator (Neso) found that electricity had returned to the West London airport by 10:56am on 21 March, yet flights remained grounded until around 6pm. Power to the wider Heathrow Airport Limited network was restored by 2:23pm. A safety review was then undertaken to ensure all essential systems were fully operational before reopening to passengers. The incident disrupted over 270,000 air passenger journeys.
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The blaze at the North Hyde substation, which started the night before, remains unexplained. While operations resumed only after extensive checks, the delay has prompted scrutiny from airport officials and passengers alike. Heathrow authorities expressed concern over the timeline and the impact on travel, with widespread criticism of the response coordination.
In a statement, Heathrow Airport acknowledged Neso’s interim findings and called on National Grid – which owns the substation – and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), which manages distribution, to clarify the incident’s cause. “We welcome the report’s questions and await answers on what led to the fire and how two transformers became affected,” said a spokesperson. “This clarity is vital to building greater resilience across the UK’s energy network.”
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Energy Secretary Ed Miliband confirmed that the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero initiated the investigation promptly due to the scale of the disruption. He said: “This interim report rules out any suspicious activity. We now await the final findings to better understand the root causes and ensure stronger protections for the UK’s critical infrastructure going forward.”
