HEATHROW may sue the National Grid after a probe found a fault causing the huge substation fire was identified seven years ago.
in March halted flights for 24 hours — and costing millions.
A probe by the found faulty fire safety equipment and moisture in electrical parts flagged in 2018 were not addressed, and maintenance was delayed again in 2022.
The North Hyde substation fire was caused by “catastrophic failure”; in a transformer, triggered by moisture entering electrical components.
Heathrow’s network was not designed to recover quickly.
The airport said it was making improvements.
Energy watchdog Ofgem has now launched a probe into the , which could result in fines.
said: “A combination of outdated regulation, inadequate safety mechanisms and National Grid’s failure to maintain infrastructure led to this catastrophic power outage.”;
National Grid said it had “taken action”;.
called the findings “concerning”; and promised action to prevent similar incidents.
Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport, handled over 83.9million passengers in 2024.
