Massive Fire Forces Heathrow Airport to Shut Down

• Heathrow Airport closed due to major power outage from nearby fire.
• Thousands of homes lost power; emergency crews battling blaze.
• Passengers told not to travel; flights suspended until March 21 midnight.

Heathrow Airport will remain closed all day Friday following a major fire at an electrical substation in Hayes, west London, which caused a significant power outage affecting the airport.

In a statement, Heathrow confirmed it would suspend all operations until 23:59 on 21 March to ensure the safety of passengers and staff. “Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport and should contact their airline for updates. We apologise for the inconvenience,” the statement added.

A Heathrow spokesperson said fire crews were responding to the incident but power restoration remained uncertain. “Staff are working as hard as possible to resolve the situation,” they added, urging passengers not to come to the airport “under any circumstances” until further notice.

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Heathrow, the UK’s busiest airport, typically handles around 1,300 flights daily and saw a record 83.9 million passengers in 2024.

The blaze at the substation has also left over 16,300 homes without electricity and forced the evacuation of around 150 people from nearby properties. Ten fire engines and roughly 70 firefighters have been deployed, according to the London Fire Brigade (LFB).

Authorities established a 200-metre safety cordon and advised residents to keep doors and windows shut due to heavy smoke in the area.

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Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks confirmed a widespread outage affecting Hayes, Hounslow, and surrounding districts. The LFB reported nearly 200 emergency calls related to the fire, which broke out late Thursday night at 23:23. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation.

“This is a highly visible and significant incident, and our firefighters are working tirelessly in challenging conditions to bring the fire under control as swiftly as possible,” said LFB Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulborne.

“This will be a prolonged incident, with crews remaining on scene throughout the night,” he added.

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

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