London’s Heathrow Airport was forced to shut down all operations on Friday, March 21, following a massive power outage caused by a fire at a nearby electrical substation.

The closure disrupted over 1,300 flights and impacted an estimated 100,000 travelers worldwide, according to reports.

The fire, which broke out at a substation in Hayes, west of London, led to a complete power failure at the airport, one of the busiest in the world.

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Heathrow officials issued a statement early Friday morning urging passengers to avoid the airport and confirming a full-day shutdown.

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“Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage,” Heathrow said in a statement posted to X.

“To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23h59 on 21 March.”

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According to CNN, the closure has grounded or rerouted more than 1,300 flights globally.

International travel plans were thrown into disarray as flights en route to Heathrow were either diverted or turned around mid-flight.

Incoming planes from locations including Perth, Paris, and New York were redirected to alternate destinations such as Shannon Airport in Ireland.

Some transatlantic flights bound for Heathrow were forced to change course entirely.

One United Airlines flight from San Francisco was redirected to Washington, D.C., abandoning its planned landing in London.

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Major UK carriers British Airways and Virgin Atlantic rerouted several flights to London’s Gatwick Airport as an alternative, Reuters reported.

The London Fire Brigade deployed multiple crews to contain the fire at the substation.

In a statement, the agency confirmed that dozens of firefighters were still battling the blaze late into the night and warned of ongoing disruptions in the surrounding area.

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

As we head into the morning, disruption is expected to increase, and we urge people to avoid the area wherever possible,” the fire agency said in the statement.

More than 150 people were evacuated from the vicinity of the substation.

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The fire not only caused the airport-wide blackout but also affected power to local homes and businesses in Hayes.

Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the fire.

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The shutdown at Heathrow, which connects over 200 destinations and welcomed nearly 84 million passengers in 2024, represents a significant disruption in international air travel.

The scale of the outage and the volume of diverted flights have had ripple effects across global aviation networks.

“Heathrow is one of the major hubs of the world,” said Ian Petchenik, a spokesman for FlightRadar24, speaking with Reuters.

“This is going to disrupt airlines’ operations around the world.”

The airport remains closed through midnight Friday as emergency services continue efforts to restore power and assess the situation.

Travelers are being asked to check with their airlines for updates and avoid travel to the airport until further notice.

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