Heathrow Airport SHUT due to power outage « Euro Weekly News

A huge fire at an electrical substation in Hayes (around 3 kilometres from Heathrow) has forced a complete shutdown of Heathrow Airport, grounding thousands of flights.

Travellers have been told not to visit the airport “under any circumstances,” according to a statement from Heathrow Airport.

“Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage across the airport due to a large fire at a nearby electrical substation.

“Whilst fire crews are responding to the incident, we do not have clarity on when power may be reliably restored.

To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, we have no choice but to close Heathrow until 23h59 on 21 March 2025.

We expect significant disruption over the coming days and passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens.

We will provide an update when more information on the resumption of operations is available,” the airport spokesperson said. (Cited by Sky News.)

Heathrow Airport closed: Flights diverted across Europe and beyond

Flight tracking site Flightradar24 estimated that at least 1,351 flights to and from Heathrow would be affected, not including those delayed or cancelled due to aircraft being out of position. At least 120 in-air flights had to be diverted.

“Heathrow is one of the major hubs of the world,” said Ian Petchenik, spokesperson for Flightradar24. “This is going to disrupt airlines’ operations around the world.”

London Fire Brigade battling the blaze in Hayes

The fire began around 11.23pm on Thursday, March 20, according to Sky News, when a transformer within the substation on Nestles Avenue in Hayes caught alight. Ten fire engines and 70 firefighters were deployed to the scene.

Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne said: “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.”

“Firefighters have led 29 people to safety from neighbouring properties, and as a precaution, a 200-metre cordon has been established, with around 150 people evacuated.” (Cited by Sky News.)

Power outage in Hayes hits 16,000 homes

More than 16,000 homes in west London lost electricity following the blaze, according to Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN).

Heathrow Airport: Major disruption likely to continue for days

Heathrow Airport is currently the fifth-busiest airport in the world, according to data by OAG.

“It’s going to be a chaotic couple of days,” said travel analyst Henry Harteveldt of Atmosphere Research Group, as cited by The Guardian, noting that airlines will struggle to reposition aircraft and crews worldwide.

Travellers are advised to check with their airline and avoid heading to Heathrow until further notice.

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