On March 21, 2025, Heathrow Airport, Europe’s busiest aviation hub, was forced to shut down following a massive fire at a nearby electrical substation in Hayes, west London. The blaze, which erupted late Thursday night, caused a widespread power outage that crippled the airport’s operations, grounding over 1,300 flights and stranding approximately 200,000 passengers globally. The closure, announced early Friday, is set to last until at least 11:59 p.m. local time, with officials warning of significant disruptions extending into the coming days.
The fire not only knocked out the primary power supply but also damaged backup generators, highlighting serious vulnerabilities in the airport’s critical infrastructure. British Airways, the largest operator at Heathrow, has been the hardest hit, with its flight schedules thrown into disarray. Passengers have been advised not to travel to the airport and to contact their airlines for updates, as the ripple effects are felt worldwide, with flights diverted to other European cities or turned back midair.
Beyond the airport, the outage has impacted thousands of homes and businesses in the surrounding area. National Grid reported that while power has been restored to 62,000 customers, several thousand remain without electricity as efforts continue to contain the fire and repair the damaged substation. The London Fire Brigade has brought the blaze under control, but the cause remains under investigation, with counter-terrorism police involved as a precautionary measure due to the incident’s impact on national infrastructure.
This unprecedented shutdown has raised urgent questions about the resilience of Heathrow’s power systems and the broader implications for global travel and trade, given the airport’s role as a key international hub handling millions of passengers and billions in cargo annually.