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How did one fire paralyse Europe's busiest airport?

London Heathrow cancelled all flights after a local power outage.

London Heathrow saw all its flights cancelled on Friday after a fire at a local power supply station. The news led to rampant speculation online – rumours of foreign interference, accusations against executives, and angry questions about who was to blame. So why wasn’t there a contingency plan to keep such an essential transport hub running?

Caitríona Perry is joined by Theo Leggett, the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ’s international business correspondent, to discuss Heathrow’s temporary closure and what it says about the vulnerabilities of our major infrastructure.

Producers: Laurie Kalus and Alice Aylett Roberts

Sound engineer: Stephen Bailey

Assistant editors: Richard Fenton-Smith and Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: China Collins

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20 minutes

Last on

Tue 25 Mar 2025 11:32GMT

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  • Tue 25 Mar 2025 11:32GMT

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