Counter-terror police say fire that shut Heathrow ‘not a criminal matter’
25 March 2025, 14:37 | Updated: 25 March 2025, 15:33
A fire which brought Heathrow Airport to a standstill last week is "no longer being treated as a criminal matter".
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Europe's largest airport was shut after a blaze at an electricity sub-station in Hayes, west London.
Today, the Met said: "Following enquiries to date, officers have found no evidence to suggest that the incident was suspicious in nature."
More than 200,000 passengers were disrupted.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband ordered the National Energy System Operator to investigate what happened and provide its initial findings within six weeks.
An internal review of the airport's crisis management plans and its response will be undertaken by former transport secretary Ruth Kelly, who is an independent member of Heathrow's board.
The airlines threatened the legal action if a settlement is not reached to compensate them for costs they incurred from the closure.
Thursday's fire caused a power outage at Heathrow, which caused the airport to close for 18 hours.
Thousands of homes were left without power and more than 100 people were evacuated. Well over 1,000 flights were cancelled.
Read more: Why Heathrow Airport boss 'went to bed' as inferno raged while 300,000 passengers faced flight chaos
Simon Calder: Heathrow reportedly had enough power to keep running despite 'unprecedented blaze'
Heathrow is the UK's largest airport, with more than 83.9 million passengers travelling through its terminals in 2024.
More than 200,000 passengers were affected by the outage, which caused cancellations and delays.
After a day of chaos, a Heathrow spokesperson confirmed on Saturday that the airport was "open and fully operational" but warned passengers to check with their airlines.
However, passengers still experienced issues, as many had to reschedule their holidays or find accommodation.
The cause of the fire will continue to be investigated by National Grid, London Fire Brigade and Southern Electricity Network.
