
The Global Story
The Global Story
How did one fire paralyse Europe's busiest airport?
March 25, 2025
20 minutes
Available for over a year
London Heathrow saw all its flights cancelled on Friday after a fire at a local power supply station. The news led to rampant speculation online – rumours of foreign interference, accusations against executives, and angry questions about who was to blame. So why wasn’t there a contingency plan to keep such an essential transport hub running?
Caitríona Perry is joined by Theo Leggett, the BBC’s international business correspondent, to discuss Heathrow’s temporary closure and what it says about the vulnerabilities of our major infrastructure.
Producers: Laurie Kalus and Alice Aylett Roberts
Sound engineer: Stephen Bailey
Assistant editors: Richard Fenton-Smith and Sergi Forcada Freixas
Senior news editor: China Collins