London’s Heathrow Airport, one of the world’s busiest, has been shut down for the entire day due to a significant power outage caused by a fire at a nearby electrical substation. The blaze, which occurred late on Thursday (20 March), has resulted in the cancellation of over 1,300 flights, affecting tens of thousands of passengers.
The fire, described as “catastrophic” by UK Energy Minister Ed Miliband, not only damaged the substation but also compromised the airport’s backup power system. Miliband noted, “There was an emergency generator, but it too was impacted by the fire, highlighting just how extraordinary and unprecedented this situation was.”
Thousands of flights going to and from Heathrow will be impacted by the closure, in a major disruption set to trigger chaos at airports around the world.
A statement posted on the airport’s X account read: “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 23h59 on March 21. Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport and should contact their airline for further information. We apologise for the inconvenience.”
The world’s second-busiest airport, which had a record 83 million passengers last year, has warned of “significant disruption” over the coming days and has told passengers not to “travel under any circumstances” until it reopens.
The impact of the shutdown is being felt beyond London, with flights between Scotland and Heathrow also being cancelled. At least 21 flights from Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen have been grounded.
A spokesperson for AGS Airports, which operates Aberdeen and Glasgow airports, said: “Our airports are operating as normal apart from all flights to and from London Heathrow which have been cancelled for the remainder of the day.
“Any passenger scheduled to fly to Heathrow should contact their airline directly before travelling to the airport.”
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) has said 10 engines and around 70 firefighters were working to extinguish the blaze.
More than 150 residents have been evacuated from their homes and more than 16,000 properties in the area are also suffering from blackouts due to the blaze in Hayes.
.The impact of the shutdown is being felt beyond London, with flights between Scotland and Heathrow also being cancelled. At least 21 flights from Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen have been grounded. AGS Airports, which manages Glasgow and Aberdeen airports, advised passengers to check with their airlines before heading to the airport
The closure is expected to result in substantial economic losses, with estimates suggesting hundreds of millions of pounds in losses for airlines and related businesses. Airlines such as British Airways, United Airlines, and Singapore Airlines have been rerouting flights and offering alternative travel options to affected passengers.
