A significant power outage at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 3 on Wednesday afternoon caused widespread disruption, leaving thousands of passengers stranded in lengthy queues and facing major flight delays.
The electrical failure, which occurred around 3:30 PM, impacted critical systems including check-in desks, baggage handling, and electronic gate displays. The resulting chaos saw travellers grappling with cancelled flights and extensive hold-ups.
Passenger Frustration Mounts Amidst Chaos
Social media quickly flooded with images and videos from frustrated passengers, depicting snaking queues and crowded departure halls. Many travellers reported being left in the dark about the status of their flights and the cause of the extensive delays.
One affected passenger described the scene as "absolute bedlam," with little to no information being provided by airport staff in the immediate aftermath of the incident.
Heathrow's Response and Recovery Efforts
Heathrow Airport officials confirmed they were urgently investigating the cause of the power cut. Teams worked swiftly to restore power to affected systems and get operations back to normal.
An airport spokesperson issued an apology to all impacted travellers, stating: "We are aware of a technical issue that occurred in Terminal 3 this afternoon. Our teams are on-site and working to resolve the issue. We apologise for the disruption this has caused."
Advice for Affected Travellers
Passengers scheduled to fly from Terminal 3 were advised to closely monitor their flight status with their airline before travelling to the airport. Airlines were forced to implement contingency plans, with some flights being rerouted to other terminals.
Those whose travel plans were disrupted were urged to contact their airline directly for information on rebooking and compensation eligibility.
