TORONTO — Toronto’s Pearson Airport is grappling with flight cancellations and delays after a fire at London’s Heathrow Airport caused significant disruption to air travel. The overnight incident, which occurred at an electrical substation, resulted in a power outage forcing Heathrow to close its operations for the day on March 21, 2025.
As a direct consequence, all flights arriving from Heathrow were cancelled, with Toronto Pearson listing at least five scheduled arrivals and two departures affected. In addition to Toronto, airports in Vancouver and Montreal reported multiple cancellations across Canadian flights, amplifying the impact of the closure.
FlightRadar 24 reported that at least 1,300 flights to and from Heathrow were disrupted, either diverted or cancelled, presenting a major challenge to travelers worldwide. About 200,000 passengers had their travel plans altered due to the incident, as the affected flights were crucial for connecting routes between North America and Europe.
According to Heathrow, the fire that caused the outage was contained, but firefighters remained on the scene to monitor the area throughout Friday. A spokesperson for Heathrow explained, "Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage.”
Authorities indicated that the situation would not resolve quickly. Heathrow announced it anticipated “significant disruption” in the coming days, suggesting that travelers should refrain from heading to the airport until further notice. This has led to a scramble for passengers to rearrange their travel plans.
Airlines have been forced to get creative in managing the fallout. Air Canada reported that six of its flights were diverted mid-air with a seventh flight cancelled entirely. The airline detailed that 16 flights had been cancelled in total, including return flights from London. In a proactive move, Air Canada has begun rerouting affected passengers to other European hubs.
WestJet also faced challenges, cancelling two flights between Calgary and Heathrow over the course of the last two days. Fortunately, they indicated that no further cancellations were expected imminently, but recommended passengers stay updated on their flight statuses.
As the day unfolded, Heathrow officials announced that they hoped to resume limited operations. They stated that the first flight managed to land approximately 18 hours after the outage began, which was a glimmer of hope for stranded passengers. Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye expressed remorse for the day’s events, underscoring safety as the priority, stating, “There was no choice but to shut down the airport for safety reasons.”
The power outage also raises serious questions about airport safety and emergency preparedness, leading to calls for a thorough investigation. Police have indicated that there is no indication of foul play associated with the fire, yet counterterrorism detectives are involved in assessing the incident's nuances. A spokesperson for U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer stressed the need for a "rigorous investigation" to ascertain how a single fire led to the closure of Europe’s busiest airport.
Airports around the world will continue to feel the impact of the Heathrow closure, significantly affecting global travel schedules as airlines and travelers adapt to the ongoing situation. Heathrow was recognized as Europe’s busiest airport last year, accommodating over 83.6 million passengers, making its operational struggles particularly noteworthy in the current travel landscape.
Despite the chaos, travelers are advised to remain patient and stay informed regarding updates from their respective airlines. As of March 22, 2025, it is expected that Heathrow will be fully operational. Nonetheless, the day’s event will likely have lasting implications for flight schedules and air travel procedures for the immediate future.
