Is it true that Heathrow is out of commission?

[Don Alaska]

I read that Heathrow Airport is expected to be down for 24 hours and that flights are diverted to Paris and Dublin until power can be restored. That is like JFK or LAX in the U.S. being down. The power substation that supplied the airport caught fire. Heathrow in a "green" moved had dismantled the diesel power backup and installed solar panels in recent years and it was discovered they don't supply enough to operate the airport. Is this true or just an internet rumor? Can you in the UK fill me in?

 

[galty]

Yes its true.

They used their diesel back ups but could not generate enough power.

Not terriost related stated the fire service.

Back in operation today but not full capacity

 

[galty]

 

[Joe Riley]

@galty Thanks for the update!

 

[Don Alaska]

The video does say it was "unprecedented" and the police were investigating to determine the cause of the fire. If they said there was no link to terrorism, it was to calm the populace, not deliver news. Apparently they don't yet know why the substation went up. Thanks for the update @galty!

 

[Joe Riley]

"But for residents who live near the airport, birdsong has replaced the usual aircraft roar. “Basically living near Heathrow is noisy. There are planes every 90 seconds or so, plus the constant hum of traffic, but you get used to it, to the point of no longer noticing,” said James Henderson, who has lived next to Heathrow for over 20 years."

“Today is different. You can hear the birds singing,” he said.