Darren YeohIf you’re flying to or transiting via London Heathrow, you might want to take note! A catastrophic fire at an electrical substation in Hayes, West London, has plunged Heathrow Airport into a complete shutdown, triggering widespread travel disruption across the globe. The fire, which is reported to have started late Thursday night (local time) caused a massive power outage, forcing the UK’s busiest airport to close its doors until at least 11:59 PM on Friday, 21 Mar 2025.Dramatic footage shared on social media captured towering flames and plumes of thick black smoke billowing from the substation, which supplies power to Heathrow.
HEATHROW – Closed for 24 hours.
An electricity substation near Heathrow has exploded- leaving thousands of West London properties without power and about 200,000 people unable to travel. pic.twitter.com/BLfyIa0BBZ
— Bernie (@Artemisfornow) March 21, 2025
“To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23:59 on 21 March 2025,” the airport announced via X, urging passengers not to travel to the airport.
Global flight disruption: hundreds of flights diverted, cancelled
Image credit: FlightRadar24 X Account
The impact of the closure has been immediate and far-reaching. Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 reported that at least 120 inbound flights were diverted to other airports, with an estimated 1,351 flights to and from Heathrow affected throughout the day. Major airlines, including British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Qantas Airways, and United Airlines, have experienced significant disruptions.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) confirmed the cancellation of flight SQ318, scheduled to depart from Changi Airport for Heathrow at 12:45 PM. Numerous other flights from Changi to Heathrow were also impacted. United Airlines reported seven flights diverted or returned to their origin airports, while Qantas rerouted two flights to Paris.
As of writing, there have also been reports via the BBC that ground transport, particularly trains servicing the Heathrow area, are also experiencing disruption.
Chaos expected for days: Airlines scramble to reconfigure networks
Travel experts predict that the disruption will extend far beyond Friday, as airlines struggle to reconfigure their carefully planned networks. “It’s going to be a chaotic couple of days,” warned travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt of Atmosphere Research Group.
A Heathrow spokesperson acknowledged the ongoing uncertainty, stating, “Whilst fire crews are responding to the incident, we do not have clarity on when power may be reliably restored.”
Passengers are advised to check with their respective airlines for the latest updates and avoid travelling to Heathrow until further notice. Changi Airport Group (CAG) also urged passengers to monitor flight statuses via their website.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation but the main thing is that, if you’re flying to London or transiting via Heathrow, be prepared for some delays and disruption to your travel plans!
