A power outage at London’s Heathrow Airport has led to the cancellation or diversion of over 200 flights.
Heathrow Airport is experiencing a blackout after a large fire at an electrical substation in West London on Thursday night.
The airport, which typically manages around 1,000 flights daily, is expected to remain closed until 11:59 p.m. local time on Friday due to “a significant power outage.” Passengers are advised to avoid the airport and contact their airlines for updates, according to an airport announcement on X.
The London Fire Brigade stated that the extensive power cut, caused by the fire at the Hayes substation, has impacted “many homes and local businesses.”
As of 5:55 a.m., firefighters were still working to extinguish the blaze, according to an early morning post on X (formerly Twitter), noting that part of a transformer unit remained on fire.
Scary scenes in Hayes. Power cut and massive fire.
— Jaffer A. Mirza (@jafferamirza)
The fire service warned, “As we head into the morning, disruption is expected to increase, and we urge people to avoid the area wherever possible.”
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the rescue service.
Massive fire West London, Hayes
— Wasif Faiz (@WasifFaiz)
Flightradar24 estimates that the shutdown will affect at least 1,351 flights.
There’s a huge fire in Hayes – London, looks like North Hyde Electricity sub station
— Vil (@fire_at_Vill)
Flights have been redirected to airports in Ireland, France, and the Netherlands, leaving numerous travelers stranded. British Airways, whose main hub is Heathrow, is working to inform passengers about their travel options for the next 24 hours and beyond.