Heathrow Airport will remain closed until midnight after a major fire broke out at a nearby electricity substation. A spokesperson informed Sky News that the fire caused a significant power outage across the airport, and there is currently no clear timeline for when power will be fully restored.
“To ensure the safety of passengers and staff, Heathrow will stay closed until 11:59 PM on March 21, 2025,” the statement said. “We expect major disruptions in the coming days, and passengers are advised to avoid traveling to the airport until it reopens.”
Flight tracking website Flightradar24 reports that over 1,351 flights to and from Heathrow will be affected today, including around 120 flights that were already airborne on Friday morning. These flights may be diverted to alternative airports or forced to return to their departure points.
Some aircraft have already been rerouted to Gatwick, Paris, and Shannon in Ireland.
As one of the busiest airports globally, Heathrow handled a record 83.9 million passengers last year, with a flight departing or arriving approximately every 45 seconds.
