National Grid boss says Heathrow had ‘enough power’
The chief executive of the National Grid has confirmed it was able to provide “enough power” to keep Heathrow open throughout Friday’s shutdown.
John Pettigrew told the Financial Times on Sunday the fire that knocked out a substation was a “unique event”, but that two other substations remained operational and capable of powering the airport in west London.
Heathrow’s chief executive had earlier said the shutdown was not caused by a lack of power, but was due to the time it took to switch from the damaged substation to the other two.
Asked whether she had full confidence in Heathrow’s management, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said it was a matter for the airport’s board.
Heathrow shut down operations for 18 hours on Friday, causing thousands of flights to be cancelled and leaving passengers stranded across the globe. The incident also disrupted the supply of millions of pounds of goods that go through the airport.
Courtesy: BBC