One of the world’s largest airports is closed today.
Heathrow Airport in London has been shut down following a devastating electrical fire that triggered massive power outages, causing chaos in the travel industry.
With hundreds of thousands of passengers affected, experts warn that the disruption could last for days, causing ripple effects worldwide.
Electrical Substation Explosion
In the early hours of Friday, Heathrow’s official social media account made a shocking announcement:
“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 23:59 on 21 March. Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport and should contact their airline for further information. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
A Heathrow spokesperson later told British media that flight disruptions are expected to continue for several days.
Although there was no fire at Heathrow itself, a nearby blaze severely disrupted airport operations. According to Sky News, the fire started in a transformer building in Hayes, about two kilometers (1.2 miles) from the airport. The explosion of the airport’s main electrical substation caused the power outage.
Around 200,000 passengers were expected to travel through Heathrow today, but the airport’s closure has created major disruptions that could last through the weekend and beyond.
The fire began around 11:30 PM on Thursday night, and despite firefighters working overnight to control it, part of the transformer building is still burning. Police have declared a major incident, and investigations are ongoing to determine the cause.
By morning, the fire was extinguished, but specialist firefighters remained on the scene, using breathing apparatus to dampen the area.
“This was a very visible and significant incident, and our firefighters worked tirelessly in challenging conditions to bring the fire under control as swiftly as possible,” said Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne.
The decision to shut down the airport due to the failure of a single substation raises serious concerns. While Heathrow officials confirmed that backup power systems are in place, activating these contingencies takes time and is not an immediate solution.
According to the Daily Mail, at least 1,357 flights have been canceled, diverted, or delayed. Some flights en route to London have landed at other airports, but many, including Gatwick, are now at full capacity.
As the chaos unfolds, other European airports are preparing for an influx of planes that are too far along in their flights to turn back and must now be rerouted.
Heathrow, one of the world’s busiest airports for international travel, had a record-breaking January this year, welcoming over 6.3 million passengers—an increase of more than 5% compared to the same time last year. It was also the 11th consecutive month the airport handled an average of over 200,000 passengers per day, with transatlantic flights contributing significantly to the surge.
In addition to the flight disruptions, rail services to and from Heathrow have been canceled for Friday, according to National Rail.
