Electrical Substation Fire at Heathrow Cancels 1,300+ Flights, Disrupts Travel for Hundreds of Thousands

A fire at an electrical substation caused significant disruption at London's Heathrow Airport, leading to the cancellation of over 1,300 flights and affecting hundreds of thousands of travelers. This incident is reminiscent of past major air travel disruptions, such as the UK air traffic control glitch in August 2023, the global shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and the Gatwick drone incident in December 2018. Other notable disruptions include British Airways' IT failure in May 2017, Delta's outage in August 2016, the Icelandic volcano eruption in April 2010, and the 9/11 attacks in September 2001, each causing widespread cancellations and operational challenges.