London’s Heathrow Airport, the busiest passenger hub in Europe, is experiencing a full-day shutdown due to a massive power outage caused by a fire at an electrical substation. The disruption has left thousands of passengers stranded and led to widespread flight cancellations and delays. Recovery back to a normal situation could take days, the airport warned.
The incident occurred shortly before midnight, 20 March, local time, in the Hayes district, west of London. A fire broke out at an electrical substation that supplies power to Heathrow Airport. As a result, operations at the airport have been severely impacted, prompting authorities to halt all flights and services until further notice.
London-Heathrow Airport, one of the busiest commercial flight hubs in the world, will be completely closed on Friday, following a serious fire tonight at a nearby electrical substation, resulting in a major power outage across West London, which includes Heathrow Airport.… pic.twitter.com/Bdc6tFKZ0m
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 21, 2025
“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 23h59 on 21 March,” Heathrow officials announced via their website and social media channels.
Passengers have been urged not to travel to the airport and to contact their airlines for further information.
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 23h59 on 21 March.
Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport… pic.twitter.com/7SWNJP8ojd
— Heathrow Airport (@HeathrowAirport) March 21, 2025
The power failure has caused major operational challenges for airlines. According to FlightRadar24, more than 1,300 flights to and from Heathrow today have been affected. Additionally, at least 120 inbound flights have been diverted to alternative airports.
London-Heathrow will be closed for ALL of Friday due to a “significant power outage” caused by a fire in an electrical substation.
There are currently 120 aircraft in the air that will be diverting to alternate airports or returning to their origins. https://t.co/TEHf2kJO23 pic.twitter.com/Lot0lsJLz8
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) March 21, 2025
“Heathrow is one of the world’s most critical aviation hubs. This incident will have a ripple effect on airline operations globally,” stated Ian Petchenik, a spokesperson for FlightRadar24.
Beyond the airport, the fire has led to broader power outages in the surrounding areas. Over 16,300 homes have been left without electricity, and emergency services have established a 200-meter safety zone around the affected substation. The London Fire Brigade deployed 10 fire engines and 70 firefighters to tackle the blaze, urging residents to keep their windows and doors shut due to heavy smoke.
Approximately 150 residents have been evacuated as a precaution. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Heathrow officials have acknowledged that the disruption is expected to continue for several days. “While firefighters are tackling the situation, we cannot yet confirm when power will be fully restored. Passengers should not attempt to travel to the airport until we provide further updates,” a spokesperson said.
Heathrow Airport closure due to an explosion at a fire at a power station nearby last night.
Had to deploy the drone rq and capture this#hayes #fire #london #heathrow pic.twitter.com/GAsOGP1uj0
— ‘ (@zain_018) March 21, 2025
