Heathrow Airport shutdown shows how vulnerable UK is to growing array of threats

Whatever the cause of the electricity substation fire that forced Heathrow Airport to close, the UK needs to improve the resilience of its vital infrastructure amid threats from terrorists, hostile states and climate change

Heathrow Airport is the largest in Europe and a major global travel hub. Last year, nearly 84 million people – more than the population of the UK – passed through its gates.

For such an economically important part of our transport network to have been shut down by a fire at an electricity substation is a reminder of how fragile this country’s vital infrastructure can be. Heathrow said that its back-up power systems had “operated as expected” but added they were not designed to “allow us to run a full operation”.

Clearly, there is a cost-benefit analysis to be done for every back-up and failsafe. If the worst never happens, it’s hardly worth spending money in preparation for it.

A fire rages at the Hayes electricity substation near Heathrow (Picture: London Fire Brigade) | PA

Russia plotting ‘acts of air terror’

However, the problem is there are dangers on multiple fronts, and some are growing. While the cause of the fire is unclear, the involvement of counter-terrorism police in the investigation demonstrates that there are genuine concerns on that front. Isis and other such terrorist groups still pose a threat.

The involvement of hostile states is also a possibility. In January, Poland’s Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, accused Russia of plotting “acts of air terror, not just against Poland but against airlines across the globe”. And in April last year, Czech government minister Martin Kupka claimed Russia had made “thousands of attempts” to attack railways in Europe since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Climate change is leading to more extreme weather, such as storms and floods that can damage infrastructure with potentially dangerous knock-on effects. According to the Association of British Insurers, total property insurance claims in the UK hit a record £5.7 billion last year, “following significant and consistent bad weather”.

Mark Shepherd, the association’s head of general insurance policy, said the figures were a “blunt reminder of the devastating damage that adverse weather can cause”, and stressed the need for “climate resilience” measures.

The lack of resilience displayed at Heathrow after the loss of one electricity substation is concerning. If this can happen at the UK’s biggest airport, then presumably other vital infrastructure is at least as vulnerable – and probably more so.