Heathrow Airport in London remained closed throughout Friday, March 21, following a massive fire at a nearby electrical substation that disrupted power supply, affecting hundreds of flights at Europe’s busiest travel hub.
According to FlightRadar24, at least 1,350 flights to and from Heathrow were impacted, with disruptions expected to continue for several days as passengers work to reschedule their journeys. At the time of the closure, around 120 flights were in the air—some had to turn back, while others were diverted to alternative airports such as Gatwick (London), Charles de Gaulle (Paris), and Shannon (Ireland), based on flight tracking data.
The fire, which broke out at an electricity substation in Hayes, west London, prompted Heathrow to shut down early on Friday. The London Fire Brigade responded to the “significant” blaze at 11:23 p.m. (GMT), deploying 10 fire engines and dozens of firefighters. Approximately 150 residents were evacuated from nearby buildings. By 8 a.m., the fire was “under control,” according to Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband assured that the government was doing everything possible to restore power. The outage left 100,000 homes without electricity overnight, though by morning, power had been restored to all but 4,000 homes. While the cause of the fire remains uncertain, Ruth Cadbury, chair of a parliamentary transport committee, said it was “speculative” to suggest arson.
Airlines Affected as airport closed
Several major airlines were impacted by the shutdown, including:
- British Airways
- Virgin Atlantic
- Lufthansa
- American Airlines
- United Airlines
- Swiss
- Eurowings
- Delta Air Lines
- Air India
Airlines’ Responses
- Air India: Flights AI129 (Mumbai) and AI161 (Delhi) were diverted, while all flights to and from Heathrow on March 21 were canceled.
- British Airways: Warned passengers against traveling to Heathrow and is working to update them on alternative travel options.
- United Airlines: Canceled all Friday flights to Heathrow and rerouted seven flights to other airports.
- Aer Lingus: Suspended all flights to and from Heathrow until further notice.
- Virgin Atlantic: Canceled all inbound and outbound flights until midday, with further cancellations under review.
- Qantas: Diverted flights from Singapore and Perth to Paris, arranging buses for passengers to London.
- Scandinavian Airlines: Canceled 12 round trips to and from Heathrow.
- Ryanair: Added up to eight extra flights between Dublin and London Stansted to accommodate stranded passengers.
- Singapore Airlines: Four inbound and four outbound flights were affected.
Originally opened in 1946 as London Airport, it was later renamed after the hamlet of Heath Row, which was demolished for its construction. The airport spans 12.3 square kilometers (4.8 square miles) and is located 25 km west of central London. With four terminals, it serves 200 destinations in over 80 countries. In 2023, its busiest routes included Dublin, Los Angeles, Madrid, and New York.
