London-Heathrow Airport closed: origin of the fire, “breaches” denounced … what we know about the open investigation

A mess in the sky. A fire led to the closure of London-Heathrow airport, one of the largest in the world frequented by some 230,000 passengers every day. “Heathrow is experiencing a significant power cut. To guarantee the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 11:59 p.m. (local time) March 21, “said the airport operator first.

In the early afternoon, he wanted to be less confident. “We do not know with certainty when electricity can be restored,” said a spokesperson quoted by The Guardian. About 5,000 households in the sector remained without current at the end of the morning, according to the firefighters.

London anti -terrorist police seized

The breakdown follows a large fire reported Thursday around 11:30 p.m. local time in the Hayes electric transformation station, located west of London, which serves the airport.

The fire hit “a transformer containing 25,000 liters of cooling oil”, which led to a “major danger due to the presence of high-voltage equipment”, detailed Jonathan Smith, a spokesperson for firefighters. The fire was brought under control in the morning of Friday, according to city firefighters.

London anti -terrorist police have been seized of the investigation, given its location and its “impact on a critical national infrastructure”. But she claims to have not noticed at this stage “sign of intentional act”.

“There was a rescue generator but he was also affected by fire, which illustrates how much (This incident) is unusual and unprecedented, “said energy minister Ed Miliband on Sky News.

The rescue system raises questions

The fire of the transformation position but also of the rescue system raises questions about the security system deployed in such an infrastructure. “This makes Heathrow very vulnerable and we must therefore learn the lessons” for the airport and other major infrastructure in the country, insisted the Minister of Energy, Ed Miliband on ITV.

“There is no doubt that questions arise about how (This incident) occurred and on the measures to be taken to prevent the large-scale disturbances that we have noticed will reproduce, “said a spokesperson for the Prime Minister Keir Starmer. An inter-ministerial meeting was held on Friday morning, it was said.

The fire caused a series of disturbances in world air traffic. Many flights have been canceled or confused. Five planes had to land in Paris Charles de Gaulle, two from Singapore, one from Perth (Australia), one from Dubai and one from Kigali (Rwanda), said the operator ADP. Two rail links between Paris and London were added this Friday to help the shipwrecked passengers, Eurostar announces on its X account.

“Shortcomings”, according to the International Air Transport Association

The director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Willie Walsh, spoke of London airport on Friday.

“How is it that a strategic infrastructure (…) is totally dependent on a single source of electricity without an alternative? If this is the case, as it seems to be, it is a clear breach of organization from the airport, “said the one who also directed the British airline British Airways, adding that the incident” raised serious questions “.

The airport began to respond to these criticisms. « Our rescue systems are security systems that allow us to land the planes and evacuate passengers safely, but they are not designed to ensure complete exploitation, “said a spokesperson in The Guardian. Heathrow “consumes as much energy as a small town, it is therefore not possible to have a reserve of energy as important as that which we need to operate safely,” he adds.

The cost of closure of Heathrow for the airport and airlines will be “certainly greater than 50 million pounds (59 million euros),” said Philip Butterworth-Hayes, aviation consultant.