As the fallout continues from today’s unexpected closure of London Heathrow Airport due to a major power failure, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has issued a strong statement criticising the airport’s preparedness and demanding a rethink on the financial responsibility airlines face during infrastructure breakdowns.
READ: London’s Heathrow Airport announces complete shutdown due to power outage
IATA Director General Willie Walsh said, “Today’s closing of Heathrow will inconvenience a huge number of travellers. We thank those affected for their patience as airlines focus on getting them to their destination as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
“This is yet another case of Heathrow letting down both travellers and airlines,” Walsh continued.
“And that begs some serious questions. Firstly, how is it that critical infrastructure—of national and global importance—is totally dependent on a single power source without an alternative?”
The question hits the heart of the chaos witnessed earlier today when Heathrow Airport—one of the busiest aviation hubs in the world—was forced to halt operations due to a site-wide power outage. Flights were cancelled or diverted, terminals were plunged into semi-darkness, and thousands of passengers and cargo shipments were left stranded or rerouted.
According to IATA, this is not merely an operational hiccup but a fundamental failure of infrastructure planning at one of the world’s most critical logistics nodes.
“If that is the case—as it seems—then it is a clear planning failure by the airport,” Walsh added.
