London’s Heathrow Airport, one of the world’s busiest travel hubs, has been forced to shut down due to a significant power outage caused by a fire at a nearby electricity substation.
The closure, which will last until midnight on March 21, 2025, was confirmed by airport authorities in an official statement.
A spokesperson for Heathrow, as cited by Sky News, revealed that the airport was experiencing a “significant power outage across the airport” and that officials “do not have clarity on when power may be reliably restored.”
To prioritize the safety of passengers and staff, the airport’s management announced a full closure, stating, “To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, we have no choice but to close Heathrow until 23h59 on 21 March 2025.”
The statement further warned of continued disruptions in the coming days and advised travelers not to visit the airport until it reopens.
According to the global flight tracking service Flightradar24, at least 1,351 flights have been affected by the shutdown.
Additionally, around 120 flights already in the air as of Friday morning may need to be rerouted to alternative airports or forced to return to their points of departure.
As one of the busiest international airports, Heathrow handled a record 83.9 million passengers last year.
On average, a plane lands or takes off approximately every 45 seconds.
With such a high volume of traffic, the sudden halt in operations is expected to cause ripple effects throughout the global travel industry.
Meanwhile, airport authorities and energy officials are working to assess the situation and restore power as soon as possible.
The incident highlights the vulnerability of major travel infrastructure to unexpected disruptions, reinforcing the need for efficient emergency response measures.
Passengers are advised to stay updated through official Heathrow channels and contact their airlines for flight rescheduling information.
