Heathrow Airport has announced it is able to “begin some flights later today” following a day of heavy disruption.
The West London airport has been shut for the whole of Friday following a nearby electrical fire at a substation.
According to the National Grid, an “interim solution” has been put in place to resupply Heathrow.
A spokesperson for Heathrow said: “Our teams have worked tirelessly since the incident to ensure a speedy recovery. We’re pleased to say we’re now safely able to begin some flights later today. Our first flights will be repatriation flights and relocating aircraft. Please do not travel to the airport unless your airline has advised you to do so. We will now work with the airlines on repatriating the passengers who were diverted to other airports in Europe.”
The airport added: “We hope to run a full operation tomorrow and will provide further information shortly. Our priority remains the safety of our passengers and those working at the airport.”
Earlier in the day, Sir Keir Starmer said in a post on X: “I’m receiving regular updates and I’m in close contact with partners on the ground.
“Thanks to our emergency workers for keeping people safe.”
The blaze is ongoing, and the BBC reports that smoke is still rising from the substation site.
The closest parallel to this incident was in December 2010, when heavy snowfall caused the airport to close for a day – resulting in more than 4,000 flights being cancelled over the five days that followed.
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, said: “Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport under any circumstances and I urge Londoners to follow the advice of emergency services and their travel providers.”
Sree Kochugovindan, a senior research economist at the investment firm Aberdeen, said: “This is a wake-up call for the importance of reinforcing and modernising critical infrastructure.”
The energy watchdog Ofgem has commissioned a review into the incident.
A spokesperson for the regulator said: “Once power is restored, we will commission a review to understand the cause of this incident and what lessons can be learnt.”