Why is Heathrow closed? London airport closure explained after substation fire

Heathrow Airport faces major disruptions on Friday (21 February) following a fire at a nearby electrical substation, with over 1,300 flights being affected.

Emergency services were called to the fire on Thursday night which caused a power outage affecting the airport and surrounding areas. Thousands of homes have been left without power and around 100 people were evacuated after a transformer within the North Hyde electrical substation caught fire in west London.

Heathrow Airport, which is supplied by the substation was among those impacted by the power outage.

By Friday morning, parts of a transformer were still burning, and firefighters continued to battle the blaze. As of 6am, around 70 firefighters were on the scene, and the fire had yet to be fully contained.

How many flights have been affected?

More than 1,300 flights to and from Heathrow Airport were disrupted due to the fire and power outage. FlightRadar24 reported that 679 flights scheduled to land and 678 set to depart from Heathrow were impacted.

In addition, 120 flights were in the air when the closure was announced.

Several of these flights were diverted to alternative airports such as Gatwick, Charles de Gaulle, and Shannon. Some international flights, including those from Canada and the United States, were also turned back.

What have authorities said?

A spokesperson for Heathrow Airport confirmed the ongoing power outage, stating, "Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage across the airport due to a large fire at a nearby electrical substation. Whilst fire crews are responding to the incident, we do not have clarity on when power may be reliably restored."

They said they have "no choice" in keeping Heathrow closed until at least 11.59pm on 21 March to ensure the safety of passengers and staff.

Passengers were advised not to travel to the airport until further notice. Heathrow officials assured the public they were working diligently to resolve the situation and would provide updates when available.

Heathrow Express train service announced it would not operate on Friday while Hayes and Harlington railway station remained closed on Friday morning, National Rail confirmed.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said on X there was a large-scale power outage in Hayes, Hounslow and the surrounding areas impacting more than 16,300 homes.

According to the power company’s website, authorities aimed to restore power by 3pm on Friday.

Emergency response

London Fire Brigade, which received nearly 200 calls related to the fire, had 10 fire engines and around 70 firefighters at the scene. The fire's severity led to the evacuation of approximately 150 people from surrounding buildings, with a 200-meter cordon put in place as a safety measure.

Firefighters from multiple stations across London, including Hayes, Heathrow, and Southall, worked together to contain the fire. Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the fire, though it remains unknown at this time.

Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne from London Fire Brigade described the situation as a "highly visible and significant incident" and urged people to avoid the area as the incident was expected to continue for some time.

What are your rights if your flight is affected?

If a flight is cancelled, airlines are required to get you to your destination if you still want to travel.

Most will book you on to another of their flights, but you may be entitled to travel with another airline or by an alternative mode of transport if it will get you to your destination significantly sooner.

Passengers doing this are often required to purchase their own tickets and submit a claim to their original airline for reimbursement.

Airlines have a duty of care to stranded passengers.

This includes a reasonable amount of food and drink (often via vouchers), a means to communicate (often by refunding the cost of phone calls), and accommodation and transfers if an overnight stay is required.

Airlines often fail to provide this assistance during major disruptions because they are overwhelmed by requests and there are not enough available rooms in local hotels.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says in this scenario, passengers can organise their own assistance and claim the costs back from the airline by submitting receipts.

Unfortunately, refunds are unlikely for Friday's incident as the fire was outside airlines’ control.

It is also worth checking your travel insurance to see what is covered.

What have airlines said?

Ryanair

British Airways

Virgin Atlantic

SWISS

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