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Review sheds light on decision to shut Heathrow amid substation fire

Simon Calder Travel Correspondent
More than 200,000 passengers were affected by the Heathrow shutdown
More than 200,000 passengers were affected by the Heathrow shutdown (iStock)
  • A review into the Heathrow shutdown on 21 March, caused by a power failure, revealed that CEO Thomas Woldbye was unreachable during the incident as his phone was on silent.
  • The decision to close Europe’s busiest airport led to 1,400 flight cancellations, affecting more than 200,000 passengers.
  • The review, led by Ruth Kelly, found that the decision to suspend operations was within the authority of chief operating operator Javier Echave, and would not have changed even if Mr Woldbye had been involved.
  • The Kelly Review recommended enhancements to the notification process for critical incidents, including a secondary means of contact for key individuals, which Heathrow has already begun implementing.
  • Airlines have criticised the decision not to open parts of Heathrow earlier, with a campaign group calling the internal Kelly Review insufficient in addressing poor contingency planning.
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