Heathrow Airport has been closed until midnight today after experiencing a major power outage caused by a fire at a nearby electrical substation, officials said. “Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage. To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 11.59pm on 21 March,” the airport’s official account on X said, advising passengers to not travel to the airport.
"Significant disruption is expected over the coming days," a Heathrow spokesperson said. A statement from the airport said fire crews were responding to the accident but there was no clarity on when power may be reliably restored. At least 70 firefighters and 10 fire engines have been deployed to Hayes in west London to tackle the fire, the London Fire Brigade said, adding that 150 people have already been evacuated.
Heathrow was the world’s second-busiest airport for international flights in 2024, after only Dubai.
The London Fire Brigade has deployed around 70 firefighters to tackle the blaze in west London which caused a massive power outage at Heathrow. At least half of a transformer within the substation remains alight, officials said in a statement. The cause of the fire is not known at the moment. Around 150 people were evacuated from nearby buildings and thousands of properties were without power.
"This is a highly visible and significant incident, and our firefighters are working tirelessly in challenging conditions to bring the fire under control as swiftly as possible,” assistant commissioner Pat Goulbourne said. He added: "The fire has caused a power outage affecting a large number of homes and local businesses, and we are working closely with our partners to minimise disruption.” The fire brigade said that its control officers have handled more than 200 calls, offering vital guidance and reassurance to the public. "Due to the significant amount of smoke, we strongly advise local residents to keep their windows and doors closed,” Mr. Goulbourne said.
Travel experts have said the disruption today would extend far beyond Heathrow Airport. British Airways alone had 341 flights scheduled to land at Heathrow today. Airlines operating at Europe’s largest airport will have carefully choreographed networks that depend on airplanes and crews being in specific locations at specific times. Dozens of carriers will now have to hurriedly reconfigure those networks to move planes and crews around.
"The other question is, what will airlines do to deal with the backlog of passengers?" said travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt with Atmosphere Research Group. "It's going to be a chaotic couple of days." The flight tracking service Flightradar24 says there are 1,351 flights to or from Heathrow today that will be directly impacted by the closure. That doesn't take into account what is likely to be a significant knock-on effect from the all-day shutdown.
“Today’s total closure of London-Heathrow will affect at least 1,351 flights to/from LHR. That doesn’t include any flights that might be cancelled or delayed due to aircraft being out of position," Flightradar24 said in a post.
British Airways has echoed the advice of Heathrow Airport for customers not to travel until further notice on March 21. The airline stated that the outage "will clearly have a significant impact on our operation and our customers."
“We’re working as quickly as possible to update them on their travel options for the next 24 hours and beyond,” it said in a statement. “Where possible, we’re redirecting inbound flights already on their way to Heathrow to other UK airports.” British Airways had been expecting to fly around 100,000 passengers to, from or through Heathrow on March 21, but none of those flights will operate.
Under UK law, a passenger is covered if they are departing from an airport in the UK on any airline, arriving at an airport in the UK on an EU or UK airline, or arriving at an airport in the EU on a UK airline. If a flight is cancelled, the airline must provide a passenger with care and assistance, meaning they must supply them with food and drink (often provided in the form of vouchers), means to communicate (often by refunding call costs), accommodation if the passenger is given a new flight the following day, and transport to and from the accommodation or their home.
The airline must continue to provide passengers these items until it is able to fly them to their destination, no matter how long the delay lasts or what has caused it, according to the Civil Aviation Authority.
People are taking to social media to share photos and videos of the blackout situation at Heathrow Airport, caused by a fire in Hayes, west London. A video showed power outages at terminals inside the airport, waiting areas inside Heathrow, and bookshops near exit points.
The London Fire Brigade has asked people in Hayes to keep their windows and doors closed as the fire at the substation is producing large volumes of smoke. “The fire at an electrical substation in Hayes is producing a significant amount of smoke. Please keep your windows and doors closed and avoid the area where possible,” it said on X, sharing a video of the massive fire engulfing the power station. “This will be a prolonged incident, with crews remaining on scene throughout the night.”
In light of these developments, Heathrow Airport has reminded travelers that it is experiencing a significant power outage due to this fire. The airport operators are working diligently to resolve the situation. “We expect significant disruption over the coming days and passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens,” the spokesperson added.
As emergency services continue their efforts to control the blaze and restore power, travelers and those due to fly are left grappling with the implications of this unprecedented closure.
