London-Heathrow Airport (LHR) will close all day after a fire broke out at a local electrical substation overnight throwing global travel into disarray.
London Fire Brigade responded to almost 200 calls reporting a fire at the substation in Hayes, a suburb of the UK capital located around three miles from Heathrow.
A spokesperson for London Fire Brigade said its crews were called shortly before 23:30, local time, on March 20, 2025, and around 10 fire engines and 70 firefighters have responded to the emergency.
In a statement Heathrow Airport said that the airport was “experiencing a significant power outage” and will be closed until 23:59 on March 21, 2025, to “maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues”.
Massive fire incident at substation #hayes #westlondon #london #fire pic.twitter.com/gNciJHFR1J
— Sabby (@Sahil45BH) March 21, 2025
“Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport and should contact their airline for further information. We apologies for the inconvenience,” a spokesperson for the airport said.
The incident will no doubt have huge ramifications for global travel and passengers with around 1,300 flights arriving and departing from Heathrow each day.
Flightradar24 is already reporting that flights are being diverted to London-Gatwick Airport (LGW) and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).
“There are currently 120 aircraft in the air that will be diverting to alternate airports or returning to their origins,” Flightradar24 said.
@BBCLondonNews There’s a huge fire in Hayes – London, looks like North Hyde Electricity sub station pic.twitter.com/PJNpbHjZxu
— Vil (@fire_at_Vill) March 20, 2025
Korean Air told its customers that delays and possible cancellations are expected for passengers flying to, from and through London Heathrow.
In an update from London Fire Brigade at 04:08, fire crews said that half a transponder was still alight and around 150 from the local area had been evacuated.
Images and the video shared on social media showed a huge fire that was visible from other parts of London some distance away.
“This is a highly visible and significant incident, and our firefighters are working tirelessly in challenging conditions to bring the fire under control as swiftly as possible. 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 minimize disruption,” said Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne.
As a precaution a 200-metre-wide cordon has been put in place around the fire and local residents have been advised to keep their windows and doors closed.
“This will be a prolonged incident, with crews remaining on scene throughout the night. As we head into the morning, disruption is expected to increase, and we urge people to avoid the area wherever possible,” added Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne.
This is a developing story.
