London's Heathrow Airport temporarily closes due to "significant power outage"

Heathrow Airport, one of the world's busiest, will be closed all day Friday due to a "significant power outage" caused by a nearby fire, according to airport officials.

“Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage,” Heathrow Airport said in a statement on X. “To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23h59 on 21 March.”

The London Fire Brigade stated in a statement that a transformer in an electrical substation in Hayes, west London, was on fire.

According to Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne's statement, around 150 persons have been evacuated, and officials have established a 200-meter barrier as a precaution. Firefighters also guided 29 individuals from nearby houses to safety, according to officials.

According to fire authorities, the incident was reported about 11:23 p.m. local time on Thursday, and workers have been on the site all night.

“As we head into the morning, disruption is expected to increase, and we urge people to avoid the area wherever possible,” Goulbourne said.

"We expect significant disruption over the coming days and passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens," the airport stated. It continued that they "do not have clarity on when power may be reliable restored."

“We know this will be disappointing for passengers and we want to reassure that we are working as hard as possible to resolve the situation,” the airport’s statement read.

Heathrow Airport's suspension due to a neighboring fire is anticipated to affect around 1,300 flights, according to tracking website FlightRadar24, possibly disrupting tens of thousands of people.

Flights are being canceled, and those already in flight are being rerouted.

“Today’s total closure of London-Heathrow will affect at least 1,351 flights to/from LHR,” FlightRadar24 said on X.  “That doesn’t include any flights that might be canceled or delayed due to aircraft being out of position.”

Cirium, an airline analytics business, calculated that "upwards of 145,000" customers might be affected.

Earlier, FlightRadar24 reported that 120 planes heading for Heathrow were already in the air.

The London Fire Brigade has received almost 200 calls regarding the big fire at the energy substation near Heathrow Airport.

“Our firefighters are working tirelessly in challenging conditions to bring the fire under control as swiftly as possible,” Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne said.

“Control Officers have handled more than 200 calls, offering vital guidance and reassurance to the public.”

The fire department had already warned that the flames would be a "prolonged incident," with disruption anticipated to worsen. Over 150 individuals have been evacuated from the neighborhood.

The airport, one of the world's busiest, declared a total shutdown on Friday due to a "significant power outage" caused by a neighboring fire, resulting in travel disruption.

Flights might be diverted to Birmingham and Manchester, he warned, and airlines would face staffing issues later if personnel did not arrive at Heathrow as scheduled.