Heathrow Airport was forced to close for the entire day on Friday, 21 March, following a significant power outage caused by a fire at a nearby substation.
The fire, which broke out in Hayes, west London, damaged equipment, leading to a widespread loss of power. The airport announced that it would remain closed until 23:59 that evening for safety reasons, advising passengers not to travel to the airport and to contact airlines for further information.
A spokesperson for Heathrow stated: "We expect significant disruption over the coming days and passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens."
The fire at the North Hyde substation, around a mile and a half from Heathrow, continued to burn as part of a transformer remained alight. Ten fire engines and approximately 70 firefighters were dispatched to the scene, with crews working tirelessly through the night. The London Fire Brigade confirmed that the cause of the fire was still unknown.
The closure affected thousands of passengers, with at least 1,300 cancellations and diversions estimated by FlightRadar24.
Airlines such as United Airlines, Qantas, and British Airways confirmed disruptions, with many flights redirected to other UK and European airports. Gatwick Airport accepted diverted flights, while Heathrow’s closure caused a ripple effect across Europe.