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A fire at a nearby electrical substation caused a power outage that crippled London Heathrow Airport (LHR) causing it to close entirely and impacting more than 1,300 flights and 200,000 passengers. The power has been partially restored, but National Grid UK warns that it is an interim solution. The airport is not expected to fully open until 11:59 PM local time tonight and passengers are urged to check with their carriers before going to the airport.
We hope to run a full operation tomorrow and will provide further information shortly. Our priority remains the safety of our passengers and those working at the airport. We apologise for the inconvenience caused by this incident. (2/2)
— Heathrow Airport (@HeathrowAirport) March 21, 2025
The cause of the fire that shut down the UK’s largest airport is being investigated, but it is not thought to have been intentionally set. London Heathrow Airport (LHR) served a record 83.9 million passengers last year.
London-Heathrow will be closed for ALL of Friday due to a “significant power outage” caused by a fire in an electrical substation.
There are currently 120 aircraft in the air that will be diverting to alternate airports or returning to their origins. https://t.co/TEHf2kJO23 pic.twitter.com/Lot0lsJLz8
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) March 21, 2025
A shutdown for a day has a massive global impact as airlines around the world fly there.
Flights to and from London’s Heathrow Airport were canceled Friday after a fire at a nearby substation knocked out power to Europe’s busiest airport, disrupting travel plans around the world.
Footage posted to social media showed huge flames coming from the facility. pic.twitter.com/9kbcllnISC
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 21, 2025
The fire occurred around 11:00 PM local time last night in Hayes, West London. A high voltage substation with a transformer containing 25,000 liters of cooling oil was set ablaze. It took 10 fire engines, two bulk foam units, a high-volume pump, and about 70 emergency personnel to fight the fire. Many are now questioning how one of the world’s top ten busiest airports does not have a better backup system for emergencies like this one.
We got coffee, we got milk, we got water, we got cups, but we got no power, so we’ve got no choice but to close early!#Heathrow pic.twitter.com/dUDmJQhmtG
— ADAM GINGER (@_AdamGinger) March 21, 2025
The situation is in no way funny, but this post on X literally made me spit my coffee. Precious from the UK comedy, Come Fly With Me was hopefully off for the day.
Anthony’s Take: This is a huge mess and it is going to be incredibly chaotic to travel through London Heathrow Airport (LHR) over the next few days (even more than it usually is at this frenetic airport). If you’re traveling to, through, or from the airport, check with your operating carrier for the latest information.
(Featured Image Credit: @fl360aero via X.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
