According to Xinhua News Agency, London Heathrow Airport announced the partial resumption of flights on the afternoon of March 21, following more than 10 hours of closure.
In a statement, Heathrow Airport confirmed that flight operations had resumed safely. However, to ensure the safety of passengers and staff, only a limited number of flights are operating at this stage. Full operations are expected to resume on March 22.
British media reported that the first flight to land at Heathrow following the closure touched down successfully at around 6:00 p.m. local time on March 21.
Heathrow had been shut down earlier in the day due to a severe power outage caused by a fire at a nearby power substation. The airport announced that it would remain closed until 11:59 p.m. on March 21.
Data from the real-time flight tracking website "Flightradar24" revealed that at least 1,351 flights were affected during the closure, with approximately 121 flights diverted.
The fire occurred at a substation in Hayes, northeast of Heathrow Airport. The London Fire Brigade responded swiftly to the incident after receiving the emergency call and brought the fire under control by 6:00 a.m. on March 21.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. According to the Metropolitan Police, there is currently no evidence of malicious intent. However, given the substation's location and the significant impact on critical infrastructure, authorities remain open to all possibilities.
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