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Heathrow Airport has been forced to close indefinitely due to a large fire at a nearby electrical substation, triggering widespread disruption for travellers, multiple foreign media outlets reported. According to CNN, at least 120 flights have been diverted or cancelled, with the airport warning that “significant disruption” is expected to continue for several days.
The power outage, caused by a fire at a transformer in an electrical substation in Hayes, West London, led to the complete shutdown of one of the world’s busiest airports, the Guardian reported. According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, the 120 affected flights currently in the air will either divert to alternate airports or return to their points of origin.
Confirming that the airport will remain closed until at least 23:59 local time on March 21, Heathrow Airport said, “Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage”.
The first scheduled arrival since the closure was a British Airways flight from Johannesburg, which was originally expected to land at 4:30 a.m. local time, the CNN report stated, adding that the flight remains listed as “expected” on Heathrow’s website.
Other international flights, including those from New York, Zurich, Paris, and Madrid, too have been impacted, with a United Airlines flight diverted to Ireland, and flights to several European destinations cancelled, the report further stated.
Meanwhile, the London Fire Brigade confirmed that a transformer at the substation had caught fire late Thursday night, and 10 fire engines, along with approximately 70 firefighters, were on site to contain the blaze.
According to CNN, authorities have evacuated around 150 people from surrounding areas as a precaution, with a 200-meter cordon set up around the site.
“We are doing everything we can to manage the situation,”Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne of the London Fire Brigade said, according to CNN. “As we head into the morning, disruption is expected to increase, and we urge people to avoid the area where possible.”
With the cause of the fire still under investigation, Heathrow Airport has advised travellers not to come to the airport, as all services have been suspended.
In a statement, the airport’s officials warned that “significant disruption” will continue over the coming days. “We expect significant disruption over the coming days, and passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens,” the statement read.
The airport further stated that it was unable to provide a clear timeline for when power might be reliably restored, adding that efforts were ongoing to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
The Hayes fire is also causing significant disruption to residents in London, the Guardian report stated, adding that the fire brigade had received nearly 200 calls in connection with the incident with crews from Hayes, Heathrow, Hillingdon, Southall and surrounding areas on the scene.
There was a large-scale power outage in the area impacting more than 16,300 homes, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said in a post on X.
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