A fire causes power outage at Heathrow, spurs flight chaos

Summary

Marketplace Morning Report: Heathrow Power Outage and Global Flight Disruptions

In the March 21, 2025 episode of Marketplace Morning Report titled "A fire causes power outage at Heathrow, spurs flight chaos," host David Brancaccio and guest reporters explore the extensive impact of a significant power outage at London's Heathrow Airport. The episode delves into the immediate consequences for global air travel, personal passenger experiences, airline responses, market reactions, and a separate segment on international fraud scams.

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1. Heathrow Airport Power Outage Triggers Global Flight Chaos

The episode opens with Will Bain reporting live from the BBC World Service, announcing that London's Heathrow Airport, Europe's busiest, remained closed all day Friday due to a massive fire at a nearby electrical substation responsible for supplying power to the airport. Bain explains, "London's Heathrow Airport will be closed all day on Friday following a power outage. It was caused by a huge fire at a nearby electrical substation that supplies the airport's power" (01:04).

2. On-the-Ground Reporting from Heathrow

Charlotte Gallagher provides an on-site update near Terminal 2 at Heathrow, painting a picture of an eerily deserted airport. She notes, "I'm just near Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport and it's totally deserted. There's no cars being allowed near the airport" (01:29). Gallagher details the ongoing efforts of the fire brigade to extinguish the blaze and the evacuation of nearby residents due to safety concerns. The power outage resulted in the cancellation of all incoming and outgoing flights for the day, affecting approximately 200,000 passengers and disrupting 1,300 flights. She further mentions, "Some flights were in the air when the airport closed. Around 120 flights were mid-air. Some had to be turned back to their original destination, others have been diverted" (01:29), highlighting the extensive reach of the disruption.

3. Passenger Experiences Amidst the Chaos

Lawrence Hayes shares his personal experience as a passenger on an overnight flight from New York to Heathrow. He recounts, "About three quarters of the way through the flight we had an announcement over the Tannoy that there'd been an issue at Heathrow and that flights were being diverted all over the place, Reykjavik and Munich and all kinds of places" (02:34). Hayes explains that his Virgin flight was among the last to secure a landing slot, ultimately diverting to Glasgow. He concludes, "So we are currently deplaning at Glasgow, but it's going to be an incredibly long day" (02:34), underscoring the prolonged inconvenience faced by passengers.

4. Airline Responses and Economic Implications

Will Bain reports that United Airlines has been significantly impacted, with seven of its flights either returning to their original destinations or diverting to alternative airports. He states, "United Airlines told the BBC that seven of its flights have had to return to the original destination or to divert to another airport" (02:59). The airline has canceled all remaining flights to London for the day, assuring customers of alternative travel arrangements.

Travel journalist Simon Calder offers expert analysis, describing the incident as "critical national infrastructure" and emphasizing the severity of the power outage. He remarks, "Heathrow uses enormous amounts of electricity for everything from the Runway lights to the IT systems and for the electricity to be switched off is absolutely devastating for the airline operations" (03:24). Calder criticizes the airport's inability to manage such a significant fire despite having multiple backup systems, labeling the situation as "extraordinary."

5. Market Reactions to the Heathrow Shutdown

The disruption at Heathrow has also had notable repercussions on financial markets. Will Bain highlights that shares in International Airlines Group, the parent company of British Airways, have declined sharply by about 2.5%. Additionally, stock indexes in major European cities such as Paris, Frankfurt, and London have fallen by half a percent to one percent (04:14). These declines reflect investor concerns over the operational and financial impacts of the power outage on the aviation sector.

6. Global Fraud Scams and Victim Testimonies

Shifting focus, the episode addresses the troubling rise of international fraud scams originating from scam centers in Myanmar and East Asia. Anika Boreham from Sri Lanka shares her harrowing experience, explaining how individuals are coerced into executing fraudulent investment schemes. She details, "They just train us how to. To chat to each other. You have to build the customer's trust so that we will know whether he's a wealthy person or not. And then that's how we scam people" (05:08).

Boreham describes the severe consequences faced by those who attempt to refuse participation, stating, "When people refused, what happened to them. Some people don't have their teeth, their hands are broken, their legs are broken" (05:27). She highlights the exploitation of vulnerable targets, particularly "very old and lonely people who want someone to care for them," using platforms like cryptocurrency exchanges to facilitate scams (06:27). Boreham's emotional recounting emphasizes the human cost behind these fraudulent operations, as she confesses, "Even now, I feel like crying" after helping scam an elderly man out of more than $38,000 (06:53).

7. Brief Cultural Highlight: Auction of a Classic Film Script

In a lighter segment, Will Bain announces that the handwritten script of the French cult film Breathless by director Jean-Luc Godard is set to go up for auction in June. Sotheby's expects the 70-page manuscript to fetch as much as $700,000, celebrating a milestone in the French New Wave cinema movement (07:14).

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Conclusion

This episode of Marketplace Morning Report provides a comprehensive overview of the significant power outage at Heathrow Airport and its cascading effects on global air travel, passenger experiences, airline operations, and financial markets. Additionally, it sheds light on the pervasive issue of international fraud scams, offering poignant testimonies from victims. Through detailed reporting, expert insights, and personal narratives, the episode underscores the interconnectedness of infrastructure, economy, and human experiences in today's global landscape.

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Timestamps:

• 01:04 Will Bain introduces the Heathrow power outage.
• 01:29 Charlotte Gallagher's on-the-ground report.
• 02:27 Introduction of passenger Lawrence Hayes.
• 02:34 Lawrence Hayes shares his flight diversion experience.
• 02:59 United Airlines' response and impact.
• 03:24 Simon Calder's expert analysis.
• 04:14 Market reactions to the incident.
• 05:08 Anika Boreham discusses fraud scams.
• 05:27 Details on the treatment of scam center workers.
• 06:27 Targeting vulnerable individuals in scams.
• 06:53 Emotional impact on scam participants.
• 07:14 Auction of the Breathless film script.

Transcript

[Multicare Representative]

Our state has changed a lot in the last 140 years. We know because Multicare has been here guided by a single making our communities healthier. That comes from making courageous decisions, partnering with local communities to grow programs and services, and expanding healthcare access to those who need it most. Together, we're building a healthier future.

[David Brancaccio]

Learn more@ multicare.org hi there, Marketplace's David Brancaccio here. If we've learned anything in the first months of 2025 here, it's that we don't exactly know what is coming next or how it will impact the economy and everyone who is part of it. As always, Marketplace is focused on covering each new development in ways that are meaningful and relevant to you. It's our March fundraiser. Now, please help us plan for an uncertain future by donating today. We need to know that you're with us. Go to marketplace.org donate a fire closes.

[Will Bain]

Europe's busiest airport for the day and causes flight chaos around the world. Live from the BBC World Service, this is the Marketplace Morning Report. Will bain in for Liana Byrne again today. Thanks for being with us. Yes. London's Heathrow Airport will be closed all day on Friday following a power outage. It was caused by a huge fire at a nearby electrical substation that supplies the airport's power. The BBC's Charlotte Gallagher has more.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

I'm just near Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport and it's totally deserted. There's no cars being allowed near the airport. They're being stopped by police and you'd expect it to be incredibly busy at this time in the morning. There's some cars going past now, but apart from that, it's pretty deserted. The fire, we think, is still ongoing in one part of the substation. So that's still a situation that the fire brigade are working on at the moment. And some people have had to be evacuated from their homes because it was just too dangerous, essentially. There's not aircraft arriving at the airport. They've all been completely cancelled today. Any ones that were due to depart as well, they've been cancelled. So 200,000 passengers, 1300 flights affected. Some flights were in the air when the airport closed. Around120 flights were mid air. Some had to be turned back to their original destination, others have been diverted. And this disruption, it's not going to be over when the airport reopens, hopefully at midnight tonight because of course, aircraft and crews are not where they're supposed to be.

[Will Bain]

Well, one of those passengers referenced by Charlotte Gallagher there was Lawrence Hayes, who was on an overnight flight from New York. When he learned his flight wouldn't be.

[Lawrence Hayes]

Landing at Heathrow, we boarded at JFK Terminal 4, no problem. And about three quarters of the way through the flight we had an announcement over the Tannoy that there'd been an issue at Heathrow and that flights were being diverted all over the place, Reykjavik and Munich and all kinds of places. And luckily our Virgin flight was one of the last flights to actually get a slot to land at Glasgow. So we are currently deplaning at Glasgow, but it's going to be an incredibly long day.

[Will Bain]

Lawrence Hayes there. Well, many flights to and from the UK and the United States were grounded or turned back. United Airlines told the BBC that seven of its flights have had to return to the original destination or to divert to another airport. The rest of the airline's flights today to London are cancelled. The airline says we are working with our customers to offer alternative travel options. A little earlier I spoke to One of the UK's leading travel journalists, Simon Calder. Simon, morning.

[Simon Calder]

Good morning. Awful day I'm afraid. This is critical national infrastructure and it's extraordinary that we've got a fire so intense that the backups and the backups of the backups are simply unable to cope. Of course, Heathrow uses enormous amounts of electricity for everything from the Runway lights to the IT systems and for the electricity to be switched off is absolutely devastating for the airline operations. Well, so called notam notice to airmen went out in the early hours, basically just saying the airport is going to be closed until one minute to midnight on Friday, so do not try to land there. And from that point onwards it's down to the airlines to decide what they are going to do.

[Will Bain]

Well, let's check in on the numbers now then. And as Simon Calder referenced their British Airways flies the vast majority of its flights from Heathrow and shares in its parent company, International Airlines Group are down sharply right now about 2 1/2 percent. Elsewhere indexes in Paris, Frankfurt and London all down in the half a percent to 1% range right now. Now, have you ever received a text message that looks suspiciously like it was intended for someone else? If you reply, they have the wrong number. They and they strike up a conversation. It's the opening gambit of an established scam aimed at pulling you into a fraudulent investment scheme. In many cases the fraud is being held against their will. In so called scam centers in Myanmar and East Asia, thousands have been freed in recent weeks after power was cut by neighboring Thailand. Anika Boreham from Sri Lanka Thought she was traveling to a legitimate IT job. She's been talking to the BBC's Ed Butler.

[Anika Boreham]

They just train us how to. To chat to each other. You have to build the customer's trust so that we will know whether he's a wealthy person or not. And then that's how we scam people.

[Veronica]

How many other workers were there in these scam centres?

[Anika Boreham]

Maybe 500, mostly Africans, Asian countries, Philippines.

[Veronica]

But this point, you know you're involved in a scam, did you complain? Did you try and refuse to do this work?

[Anika Boreham]

Actually, we saw when people refused, what happened to them. Some people don't have their teeth, their hands are broken, their legs are broken. They need clutches to walk. Even the women, in one month or so, when they don't perform, you cannot even look at their faces. So we Sri Lankans, we thought of doing whatever they said.

[Veronica]

Veronica, recalling the sense of personal terror is combined with a sense of guilt as well. She was being made to lure unsuspecting men into speculative investment schemes.

[Anika Boreham]

Most of them are like very old and lonely people who want someone to care for them. We use cryptocurrency exchanges like Binance, OkX. So then that is the point where the customer gets scammed.

[Veronica]

Actually, the sums that they needed to invest would start to spiral rapidly to the tune of thousands of dollars.

[Anika Boreham]

Last year, this month, I was very lucky. He was a very old person, maybe 80 years old. I think he put more than 38,000 USD. It's horrible. Even now, I feel like crying.

[Will Bain]

And finally, the handwritten script of the French cult film Breathless is to go up for auction in June. Regarded as a classic of the French New Wave cinema movement, the film was made in Paris in 1959 by the director Jean Luc Godard. The 70 pages will be auctioned by Sotheby's, possibly fetching as much as $700,000. Start saving if you're a fan, I guess. Thanks so much for listening to the Marketplace morning report from the BBC World Service.

[Janeli Espinal]

Consumer confidence had its sharpest monthly decline since 2021, which means we're all in our feels about money. And while uncertainty is the only constant these days, it's also a great reason to get serious about understanding personal finance. I'm Janeli Espinal, host of Financially Inclined, a podcast from Marketplace that makes learning about money simple. Learn about practical skills like negotiating job offers, dealing with money and friendship and love, entrepreneurship and student loans. Get serious about your money and build a life you've always dreamed of. Listen to Financially Inclined wherever you get your podcast.