Heathrow Airport has been forced to shut down for the entire day on Friday due to a large fire at an electrical substation that supplies power to the UK’s busiest airport.
The fire has caused a significant power outage, severely impacting operations.
In a statement, Heathrow confirmed it will remain closed until 23:59 on March 21 for safety reasons.
“To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed,” the airport said, adding that authorities do not yet have a clear timeline for restoring power.
Passengers have been urged not to travel to the airport under any circumstances until operations resume.
Heathrow handles approximately 1,300 flights per day, making the closure a major disruption to air travel in the UK and beyond. Last year, 83.9 million passengers passed through its terminals.
The abrupt closure of Europe’s busiest airport caused major disruptions, impacting over 100 flights that were forced to divert or return to their departure points, according to flight-tracking site Flightradar24.
Aviation data firm Cirium estimates that approximately 145,000 passengers could be affected by the shutdown, adding to the logistical challenges for airlines and travelers alike.
The fire shutting down Heathrow
The outage was triggered by a fire at an electrical substation in Hayes, west London, which has also left thousands of homes without power.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) deployed ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters to tackle the blaze.
The fire, which broke out late on Thursday night at 23:23, has forced the evacuation of around 150 residents from nearby properties.
A 200-metre safety cordon has been set up, and locals have been advised to keep windows and doors closed due to heavy smoke.
More than 16,300 homes across Hayes, Hounslow, and surrounding areas have lost electricity, according to Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN).
The company acknowledged the large-scale outage in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) and said it was working to restore power as quickly as possible.
The LFB reported receiving nearly 200 calls about the fire, describing it as a “highly visible and significant incident.”
Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the fire, and emergency services continue to work to contain the situation.
Passengers affected by the Heathrow closure are advised to contact their airlines for further updates.
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