Here’s the latest.
Britain’s Heathrow Airport was closed for the day after a fire knocked out its power overnight, disrupting flights for hundreds of thousands of passengers at Europe’s busiest travel hub.
At least 1,300 flights to and from Heathrow were affected already, including several from U.S. cities that were canceled, flight tracking service FlightRadar 24 said.
Flights were rerouted, passengers were left stranded, and many travelers scrambled for alternatives as London’s Heathrow Airport shut down on Friday due to a power outage caused by a fire at a nearby electrical substation.
The disruption had a global impact, bringing one of the busiest airports to a standstill. Planes were forced to divert to other European cities or turn back mid-flight. Airport officials announced that Heathrow would remain closed until 11:59 p.m. local time, but delays and cancellations were expected to continue for days as airlines worked to accommodate affected passengers.
Britain’s energy secretary, Ed Miliband, stated that the power outage resulted from a massive fire that broke out overnight near the airport in western London, also affecting at least one backup generator. Speaking to LBC radio on Friday morning, Miliband said there was no indication of foul play but acknowledged that the exact cause of the fire remained unclear.
Police and emergency vehicles were stationed at the empty drop-off zone outside a Heathrow terminal early in the morning, while airport staff redirected travelers who had arrived despite official warnings to stay away. Airline counters were vacant, flight information screens were blank, passageways were dimly lit by emergency lighting, and escalators remained motionless—creating an eerie atmosphere at the normally bustling airport.
A Heathrow spokesperson stated that major delays were expected in the coming days and urged passengers to avoid traveling to the airport until it reopens.
Flights bound for Heathrow were rerouted to other airports across Britain, as well as to destinations in France, Ireland, and Canada. According to aviation data firm Cirium, up to 290,000 passengers could be impacted by the closure.
Here are other key details to know:
Substation Fire
The fire at the North Hyde electricity substation was brought under control by London’s fire brigade around 6:30 a.m. local time. Approximately 150 people were evacuated after the fire broke out late Thursday night. The energy provider, National Grid, reported that around 4,900 customers were still without power as of Friday morning. No injuries were reported.
Backup Systems
Government officials indicated that the fire may have disabled two backup generators supplying power to Heathrow. The failure to quickly restore electricity after such a major outage is expected to raise concerns about the reliability of Britain’s infrastructure.
Airlines Scramble
Around 80 airlines operate at Heathrow, and many redirected inbound flights to other airports in Britain and Europe or returned them to their points of origin. British Airways, which had approximately 340 flights scheduled to land at Heathrow on Friday, acknowledged the significant impact on its operations and passengers.
By the Numbers
Heathrow is the largest airport in Britain, featuring two runways and four terminals that serve over 230 destinations across 90 countries. In the past year, the airport handled 83.9 million passengers and 1.6 million metric tons of cargo.
