The Rt Hon Ruth Kelly, former Secretary of State for Transport said: “The report we’re publishing today provides a detailed account of the events surrounding Heathrow’s preparedness for and response to the North Hyde substation fire in March. I’ve shared its findings and recommendations in full with the Transport Secretary, the CAA and the Chair of the Transport Select Committee.
“The evidence confirms that Heathrow made the right decisions in exceptionally difficult circumstances. Whilst the disruption was significant, alternative choices on the day would not have materially changed the outcome. The airport had contingency plans in place, and the report highlights that further planned investment in energy resilience will be key to reducing the impact of any similar events in the future.
“The report sets out a number of important recommendations, which Heathrow’s leadership team will now take forward. I would like to thank those who contributed to the inquiry for their transparency and cooperation, and I’m especially grateful to Joan MacNaughton and Mark Brooker for their expertise and support throughout this process.”
Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye said: “Heathrow exists to serve our passengers and airlines, which made the decision to close the airport in March because of the North Hyde substation fire tough, but necessary. We hope that all our stakeholders understand this was done to protect the safety of passengers and colleagues. We’re truly sorry for the disrupted journeys, and we understand the impact this had on so many of our customers. I would also like to thank our airline and airport partners for their teamwork on the day, which helped us recover quickly and restart operations smoothly. Such collaboration is key to managing complex airport operations.
“The Board commissioned the Kelly Review to assess our preparedness and scrutinise our response. The evidence confirms that Heathrow made the right decisions on the day and successfully put safety first without a single injury reported. Investments in energy resilience have been and will continue to be part of our strategy, and our response to this unprecedented incident was effective due to well-drilled procedures. The Review’s recommendations will further strengthen our resilience, and our team is committed to implementing them in full.
“We look forward to the final NESO report, which we hope will address key questions for National Grid and SSEN – particularly how this fire could begin and why all three transformers failed – so that the UK’s energy infrastructure can be made even more resilient."
Tags: Ruth Kelly, Lord Deighton, Thomas Woldbye,
