Heathrow Havoc: Travel Industry Reels from Major Power Outage

A fire at an electrical substation forced London's Heathrow Airport, Europe's busiest air hub, to close, causing massive disruption in the travel industry. Flights were canceled or rerouted, leading to financial losses. Authorities investigate the lack of backup systems, while airlines and travelers struggle with the aftermath.

Heathrow Airport, Europe's busiest air hub, faced chaos as a fire at an electrical substation prompted a shutdown, leaving the travel industry in turmoil. On Friday, flights were grounded or redirected, impacting tens of thousands of travelers.

As airlines work to restore operations, questions arise over the absence of backup systems. IATA's Willie Walsh criticized the situation as a 'planning failure.' Heathrow's CEO expects operations to resume by Saturday, but the financial fallout remains a concern.

With hotels overcharging and flight schedules in disarray, airlines like British Airways and Virgin Atlantic work diligently to mitigate the impact. Meanwhile, the fire's cause remains under investigation, though initial assessments deem it non-suspicious.

(With inputs from agencies.)