Heathrow Airport will be closed on Friday due to a “significant” power outage caused by a fire at a neighbouring electrical substation that supplies it electricity.
The UK’s biggest airport has issued a warning of “significant disruption” in the coming days and advised passengers not to travel “under any circumstances” until it reopened.
The incident at the Hayes substation in west London has left thousands of households without electricity, and 150 people have been evacuated from nearby residences.
At 23:23 GMT, emergency services were alerted to the location, and social media footage showed tall flames and smoke pouring from the substation overnight.
No fewer than 1,351 flights to and from Heathrow will be affected on Friday, flight tracking website Flightradar24 said on X, with some 120 affected aircraft already in the air when the closure was announced.
According to the London Fire Brigade (LFB), a portion of a transformer within the substation remains on fire. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.
Ten fire engines and approximately 70 firefighters have been dispatched to combat the fire, according to the LFB.
As a precaution, a 200-metre cordon has been established, and residents have been warned to keep doors and windows closed due to a “significant amount of smoke”.
The brigade stated that it rescued 29 people from adjoining buildings.
Asst Cmmr Pat Goulbourne said firefighters “have made good progress in containing the fire and preventing further spread”.
“As we head into the morning, disruption is expected to increase, and we urge people to avoid the area wherever possible.”
According to Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, more than 16,300 houses have lost power as a result of the incident.
LFB stated that power has since been restored to certain properties.
“We’re aware of a widespread power cut affecting many of our customers around the Hayes, Hounslow and surrounding areas,” it added.
A Heathrow Airport spokesperson said, “To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, we have no choice but to close Heathrow until 23:59 on 21 March 2025.”
“We know this will be disappointing for passengers, and we want to reassure them that we are working as hard as possible to resolve the situation,” they added.
“Whilst fire crews are responding to the incident, we do not have clarity on when power may be reliably restored.”
The airport apologised for the interruption and recommended travellers to contact their flights for more information.
Heathrow is the UK’s largest aviation hub, with over 1,300 landings and takeoffs every day. According to the most recent data, it received a record 83.9 million passengers via its terminals last year.
Seven United Airlines flights headed for Heathrow have been returned to their original destinations or diverted to other airports, the airline told reporters.
