LONDON- A significant power outage forced London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) to close completely on Friday (March 21, 2025), creating massive travel disruptions at one of the world’s busiest aviation hubs. The shutdown occurred after a fire erupted at a nearby electrical substation.
Heathrow officials announced on social media that the airport would remain closed until 23:59 on March 21. “To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23h59 on 21 March,” the statement read.
Photo: By Mitchul Hope – Etihad Airways | A6-APB | Airbus A380-861 | London Heathrow Airport (LHR/EGLL), CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=129305775Heathrow Airport Closes Due to Power Outage
The airport warned travelers to expect “significant disruption over the coming days” and urged passengers not to come to the airport under any circumstances until operations resume. Airport authorities admitted they lack clarity on when reliable power might be restored.
The London Fire Brigade reported that a transformer caught fire at an electrical substation in Hayes, a London suburb located just miles from the airport. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Overnight, dozens of firefighters battled the blaze, which led to the evacuation of 150 people and left more than 16,000 homes without power, according to utility supplier Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks.
Social media footage captured dramatic scenes of towering flames and thick smoke rising into the night sky early Friday. Additional videos showed Heathrow Airport facilities plunged into darkness during the outage.
“As we head into the morning, disruption is expected to increase, and we urge people to avoid the area wherever possible,” stated Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne in the fire brigade’s announcement.
Airport officials acknowledged the frustration travelers would face, saying, “We know this will be disappointing for passengers and we want to reassure that we are working as hard as possible to resolve the situation.”
Flight operations faced immediate impacts, with numerous aircraft forced to turn back mid-flight or divert to alternate airports as the crisis unfolded.
By Andrew Milligan sumo – Departures Terminal 5, London Heathrow Airport, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=105402952100s of Flights Diverted, 1000s of Pax Affected
The unexpected closure of London’s Heathrow Airport threatens to disrupt tens of thousands of travelers worldwide. As the world’s fourth-busiest airport in 2023, Heathrow processed a record-breaking 83.9 million passengers last year.
Heathrow operates across five terminals 14 miles west of central London, typically functioning at 99% capacity with every major airline utilizing its facilities. The airport’s consistently high volume makes this shutdown particularly problematic.
“Heathrow handles about a quarter of a million passengers a day. It does that with about 1,300 flights a day,” aviation analyst Geoffrey Thomas told CNN on Friday. “We’ve got literally hundreds of flights coming in from the United States, from Southeast Asia, the Middle East — they’re all in the air at the moment.”
Airline analytics firm Cirium estimates “upwards of 145,000” passengers could face disruption from the shutdown. By early Friday, the airport’s website displayed numerous scheduled arrivals diverted or canceled, though some flights remained listed as “expected.”
Passenger Remarks
British passenger Christine told CNN she experienced the disruption firsthand when her British Airways flight from New York’s JFK airport was held on the tarmac. After initially being asked to wait, passengers learned Heathrow had closed and another flight that had already reached the runway had turned back.
“The mood is fairly relaxed on the plane, surprisingly. They’ve just come around to feed us,” she said. With a wedding to attend in the UK on Saturday, she added: “I really hope we’re not stuck until then!”
According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, more than 1,350 flights to and from Heathrow will face disruption on Friday. Approximately 120 flights were airborne when the shutdown announcement came, forcing them to divert to alternative airports or return to their departure points.
Thomas explained that while shorter domestic flights might turn back, long-haul international flights lack this option. Although London has several other airports, including Gatwick and Stansted, these facilities likely operate “at capacity,” forcing diverted flights to seek landing alternatives farther away in cities like Glasgow or Edinburgh.
This creates additional complications as these smaller, lower-cost airports lack the infrastructure to handle the sudden influx of diverted passengers from Heathrow.
Photo: Akbarali MastanAirlines Ops Affected
Air India (AI) has confirmed major disruptions to its London Heathrow operations following the airport’s complete shutdown due to a fire at a nearby electrical substation. The Tata-owned airline has canceled all flights scheduled for March 21.
Flight AI129 from Mumbai is returning to its origin city, while flight AI161 from Delhi has been diverted to Frankfurt. The airline noted that passengers traveling to London Gatwick remain unaffected by these disruptions.
Air India stated it is actively working to manage the situation as Heathrow remains closed. The airline continues to monitor developments at one of its key international destinations.
British Airways (BA) has urged all passengers scheduled to depart from Heathrow on Friday to stay away from the airport until further notice. The UK flag carrier’s announcement aligns with Heathrow’s own guidance as the facility remains without power.
Emirates (EK) has also taken decisive action, canceling all flights to and from Heathrow scheduled for March 21. The Dubai-based airline joins Air India and other carriers in adjusting operations as the crisis unfolds.
Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.
Join us on Telegram Group for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on Google News
British Airways Cancels More than 100 Flights in and out of London, 25,000 Passengers Affected
The post London Heathrow Airport Closes Due to Power Outage, 100s of Flights Affected appeared first on Aviation A2Z.
