Heathrow Airport has been closed until at least midnight tonight after experiencing a major power outage following a fire at a west London electrical substation.
Passengers were asked not to travel to the airport “under any circumstances”, while British Airways said it would not be operating flights out of its global hub “until further notice”.
“Significant disruption is expected over the coming days,” a Heathrow spokesperson said.
Thousands of passengers have been left stranded, as the airport was due to see over 1,330 scheduled flights today, flying up to 291,000 passengers, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
A statement from the airport said fire crews were responding to the accident but there was no clarity on when power would be restored.
At least 70 firefighters and 10 fire engines have been deployed to Hayes in west London to tackle the fire, the London Fire Brigade said, adding that 150 people have already been evacuated and hundreds of nearby homes were without power.
Ranked: UK’s busiest airports by flights per day
Mayor of London calls Heathrow closure ‘hugely frustrating’
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has praised emergency services for their response to a fire that has closed Heathrow Airport for the day.
In a statement shared on X, the mayor said: “Heathrow Airport is closed today due to a power outage caused by a fire at a nearby electrical substation. The fire is having a significant impact on the local area with the airport closed, other businesses affected and homes left without power.
“I know this will be hugely frustrating for the many thousands expecting to travel to and from Heathrow today, the families who have had their power cut and the commuters who have had their journeys disrupted.
“I’d like to thank the emergency services who have been working hard overnight to tackle the fire and I remain in close contact with them, as I have been overnight. Thankfully, there are no reports of any injuries.
“Electricity suppliers are working hard to restore power, but Heathrow Airport have said they will be closed all day and has warned of significant disruption over the coming days.
“Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport under any circumstances and I urge Londoners to follow the advice of emergency services and their travel providers.”
In pictures: Virgin Atlantic and Finnair planes parked at Heathrow
Mapped: Where are planes being diverted to after Heathrow closure
Aviation analytics firm Cirium said the airport was scheduled to have 665 departures today, equating to over 145,094 seats. A further 669 flights were due to arrive today, with some 145,000 passengers expected to land in the UK’s busiest airport.
Jabed Ahmed reports:
Heathrow closure could have ‘dire impact on UK economy
A trade expert has warned that the disruption at Heathrow could have a dire impact on the UK economy and will take weeks to unpick.
Ben Farrell , chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) said: “The fire at Heathrow is extremely concerning for supply chain professionals around the country and the world. As the UK’s only International Hub Airport it connects UK businesses to the world and vice versa.”
“Heathrow is a crucial for international trade with around 5000 tons of goods passing through the airport each day. Supply chains work on a just in time basis and the whole operation is meticulously planned to ensure goods enter and exit the country in a timely fashion.”
“This disruption will take days, if not weeks to unpick and leave, goods, crew and planes out of sync. Research conducted by the Centre for Economics and Business Research shows that a fifth of UK goods pass though Heathrow every year. With diversions in place and the airport shut for at least another day we will see millions of pounds worth of goods out of place leading to added costs for businesses.”
Simon Calder answers your Heathrow airport questions in exclusive Q&A
With Heathrow set to remain closed until at least midnight on 21 March, many travellers are left wondering about their rights, alternative travel options, and what to expect in the coming days. Airlines are rerouting flights, and some passengers have already found themselves diverted to unexpected destinations, such as Shannon, Ireland.
So, if your flight has been affected, what are your options? What compensation are airlines required to provide? And what should travellers planning to fly in the coming days do?T
he Independent’s travel correspondent Simon Calder will be answering all your questions about the Heathrow chaos, passenger rights, and travel alternatives later today.
‘We thought one of the houses were in flames’, says Hayes resident
Indy Gharayl, 33, told Becky Whittaker, our reporter on the scene in Hayes, west London: “We saw this red ball of flames. We heard a big bang and after my family came into my room.
“We thought one of the houses were in flames and we stepped out the house amd saw what it was. My sister was going to work at 4am and the fire was still going on.”
‘I woke up this morning and the first thing I could smell was smoke’ says Hayes resident
Nickol Nikiforova, 24, has told on-the-scene reporter Becky Whittaker, who is in Hayes, west London, that she couldn’t go down the street when she returned home at 2.30am.
The Nestle Avenue resident said: “[I] got home at 2.30am and the uber couldn’t go down my street. There were engineers with massive pipes going down the length of the avenue. I knew there was a power outage but I had no idea there was a fire.
“The closer I got to mine none of the street lights worked. Power came back on at 2.50am. I woke up this morning and the first thing I could smell was the smoke. Only this morning did I realise it was behind my house. I stepped outside and realised how bad it was.”
Traveller accuses hotels of increasing prices following airport closure: ‘it’s absolutely absurd’
A video producer has accused hotels of increasing room prices amid the Heathrow closure.
Louis, who didn’t disclose his surname, told PA he was due to fly back to Dublin with Aer Lingus just before 9am on Friday, but said his flight was cancelled following the London Heathrow closure affecting more than 1,300 flights.
The 28-year-old stayed the night at a hotel just “500 metres from Terminals 2 and 3”, but was forced to book a new room at a different hotel over fears his rescheduled flight for Saturday could be cancelled again, and has accused nearby hotels of increasing its prices amid the disruption.
“They’ve actually doubled, if not, in some cases, tripled the prices of the rooms based on what’s going on, which is absolutely absurd. They’re profiting off of people’s misfortunes in this. I don’t know how that’s allowed,” he said.
He said his original room cost around £90, but claimed he saw the same room on the hotel comparison site Booking.com for £280.
“It’s frustrating, but it’s just beyond control,” he said.
When will Heathrow reopen?
Passengers have been asked not to travel to the airport “under any circumstances”, while British Airways said it would not be operating flights out of its global hub “until further notice”.
A spokesperson said: “Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage.
“To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow Airport will be closed until midnight on 21 March.
“Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport and should contact their airline for further information. We apologise for the inconvenience.”
It remains unclear when the airport will reopen.
Source: independent.co.uk
