London’s Heathrow airport faced a major disruption after a nearby fire caused a significant power outage, leading to the closure of the airport until midnight. This incident has resulted in chaos for global travel as scheduled flights were disrupted and incoming flights were diverted to nearby airports.
Heathrow, one of the busiest international flight hubs in the world, announced the closure of operations throughout Friday due to a blaze at an electricity substation supplying the airport. Passengers were advised not to travel to the airport and to contact their airlines for further information.
According to flight tracking website Flightradar24, arrivals at Heathrow were halted and incoming flights were redirected to airports such as Gatwick, Charles de Gaulle in Paris, and Shannon Airport in Ireland. Eurocontrol, which manages air traffic operations in Europe, announced that arrivals were regulated at zero due to the power outage at the airport.
Heathrow airport ranks as the second-busiest international airport globally, following Dubai, as reported by travel data group OAG. The London Fire Brigade confirmed that a large fire had broken out at an electrical substation in Hayes, near Heathrow, causing a power outage affecting homes and businesses in the area.
Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne stated that firefighters were working diligently to control the fire under challenging conditions. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks reported that over 16,000 homes in south-west London were affected by the unplanned power outage and aimed to restore power by 3 pm on Friday.
The incident at Heathrow airport has caused significant disruption to travel plans and the authorities are working to resolve the situation as quickly as possible. Passengers are advised to stay informed and make alternative arrangements until the airport reopens for operations.
