A major fire at an electricity substation forced the closure of Britain’s Heathrow Airport, Europe’s busiest, early Friday, causing widespread travel disruptions.
Airport officials warned of “significant disruption” in the coming days, with hundreds of flights canceled and thousands of passengers affected.
“Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage,” the airport operator announced on its website, stating that the airport would remain closed until just before midnight Friday (2359 GMT).
“Passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens.”
According to flight tracking service FlightRadar24, at least 1,351 flights to and from Heathrow have been affected. At the time of the announcement, 120 flights were already in transit to the airport.
Cause of the Shutdown
The London Fire Brigade confirmed that a “significant” fire broke out at a substation in Hayes, a town in the London borough of Hillingdon, leading to the massive power failure. Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters were deployed to the scene, and approximately 150 people were evacuated from nearby properties.
“The fire has caused a power outage affecting a large number of homes and local businesses, and we are working closely with our partners to minimise disruption,” said Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne.
First reported at 11:23 pm (2323 GMT), officials described the fire as a “highly visible and significant incident.” Firefighters worked under challenging conditions to bring the blaze under control.
Impact on Flights and Passengers
Heathrow, which accommodates over 80 million passengers annually and sees around 1,300 daily takeoffs and landings, faces major logistical challenges.
United Airlines confirmed that seven flights had returned to their origin airports or diverted elsewhere, while all scheduled flights to Heathrow on Friday were canceled. In Sydney, Qantas reported that two flights en route to London—one from Perth and another
