Major Power Outage Forces Heathrow Airport Closure, Causing Global Flight Disruptions
Britain's Heathrow Airport shut down Friday after a major fire at a nearby electrical substation cut power to the facility, disrupting flight schedules worldwide. Approximately 70 firefighters battled the blaze in west London, which also disabled the airport's backup power system. Large orange flames and black smoke were visible before firefighters contained the fire. By morning, roads around Britain's largest airport were mostly empty except for some departing passengers with luggage. Fire investigators will examine the cause, though Energy Minister Ed Miliband indicated it didn't appear to be foul play. Heathrow announced the airport would remain closed until midnight due to the significant power outage, affecting 1,351 scheduled flights and up to 291,000 passengers. "Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport and should contact their airline for further information," the airport stated. "We apologize for the inconvenience." The […]