- Heathrow Airport has reopened and is fully operational after a fire at an electrical substation caused a major power outage. However, flight delays and cancellations are expected to continue for days.
Airport operations: British Airways estimates that 85% of its scheduled flights will operate, albeit with delays. By Saturday morning, nine of the first 20 arrivals had already been canceled.
Cause of outage: A fire at an electrical substation in west London, near Heathrow, caused a general blackout at the airport.
Investigation by authorities: There is no evidence of sabotage, according to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander and the Metropolitan Police.
Power restoration: National Grid found a temporary solution and restored power, while the fire was brought under control on Friday morning.
Back-up power issues: Although Heathrow has alternative power sources, it took time to restore the airport to normal operation, due to the need to check and restart systems.
Government response: The Department for Transport has temporarily lifted restrictions on night flights to ease the schedule.
Passengers are advised to contact their airlines for information about their flights.
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