Firefighters work to secure the North Hyde substation after a Thursday night fire, which caused Heathrow Airport in London to shut down on Friday, March 21, 2025. AP
Heathrow Airport, Europe’s busiest travel hub, came to a standstill on Friday after a fire at a nearby electrical substation knocked out power. The shutdown, which lasted around 18 hours, caused massive flight cancellations, left roughly 200,000 passengers stranded, and created chaos for airlines and travelers.
Fire Sparks Major Power Outage
The blaze started late Thursday night at a substation about two miles from the airport. Firefighters battled the flames for nearly seven hours before bringing it under control. Authorities confirmed that there was no sign of foul play. The London Fire Brigade announced that the investigation would focus on the electrical equipment at the substation.
The fire cut power to Heathrow and thousands of nearby homes. It also forced the cancellation or rerouting of around 1,350 flights. According to aviation experts, the impact could last for several days as airlines work to reschedule flights and move planes and crews back into position.
Flights Gradually Resume
By Friday evening, Heathrow reopened. A British Airways flight from Manchester landed just before sunset, marking the airport’s first arrival after the closure. More flights soon followed, including a British Airways plane heading to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which took off before 9 p.m.
The airport planned to resume its full schedule on Saturday. However, delays and disruptions were still expected as airlines cleared the backlog.
Passengers Face Travel Chaos
About 120 flights were already airborne when the shutdown was announced. Some had to turn back, while others were redirected to airports in nearby countries, including France and Ireland.
One passenger, Lawrence Hayes, was flying from New York to London when his Virgin Atlantic flight was diverted to Glasgow. "I’ve been up for what feels like forever," Hayes said. "My wife managed to book me a train ticket to London, but it’s going to be a long day."
Another traveler, Mark Doherty, was halfway across the Atlantic when his flight to Heathrow turned back to New York. "I thought it was a joke," Doherty said. "There’s clearly no backup plan for something like this."
Impact on the Local Community
Residents near the airport said they saw a massive fireball and heard explosions when the blaze erupted. Matthew Muirhead, who was working nearby, said, "We saw a bright flash, and then all the lights in town went out."
The fire cut power to around 67,000 homes, though most had electricity restored by morning. Around 150 people were evacuated from homes near the substation for safety reasons.
Calls for Better Infrastructure
The disruption has raised concerns over the UK’s readiness for such incidents. Security expert Alan Mendoza criticized the country’s infrastructure, saying it isn’t strong enough to prevent major shutdowns like this.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said a thorough investigation was needed to prevent such large-scale disruptions from happening again.
