The CEO of Heathrow has stated that installing a more robust power system to prevent a repetition of the recent shutdown caused by a fire at a nearby suburb may cost approximately £1 billion. Airlines might be required to pay higher charges as part of the funding plan. Thomas Woldbye, who faced criticism for going to bed during the crisis to get better rest for the subsequent day’s response, admitted that he was frustrated by the incident and acknowledged that a better response could have been managed. The shutdown last Friday, triggered by the fire, led to the cancellation of 1,300 flights and affected over 200,000 passengers globally. Despite John Pettigrew, the CEO of National Grid, claiming that there was sufficient power from two other nearby substations to keep Heathrow operational during the shutdown, Woldbye maintained that the airport had to close on safety grounds. While fully reopening 24 hours later after system checks, Woldbye expressed regret over the incident and said Heathrow is considering installing a fully resilient power system, for which airlines would likely be charged. A body representing over 90 airlines using Heathrow indicated there may be a case for legal action if a satisfactory settlement on the costs incurred is not reached. Woldbye addressed his decision to go to bed before the crisis, stating he was not informed of the fire, which emerged after he went to bed. He defended Heathrow’s emergency response system, emphasizing its proper function and the ongoing review of the incident both by Heathrow and the government.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/28/heathrow-boss-better-energy-supply-to-avoid-outage-repeat-could-cost-1bn