Heathrow Airport in London closed on Friday, after a fire in a nearby electric substation caused a power failure and disrupted traveling for tens of thousands of passengers to fly the planning, in or from the most busy airport in Europe.
The first flight since the local time was closed late Friday, and Heathrow published on X that he hopes to carry out a “full operation” on Saturday.
According to the flight tracking site flightsware, more than 800 flights in and outside the airport were canceled on Friday, to the latest update, upward journeys at the Major Hub and the connecting airport.
The airlines warned the travelers that disorders could continue until the weekend and Heathrow published that travelers should not go to the airport, unless this was advised with their airline.
Flight tracker data after a large electric fire near Heather International, the airport closed on March 21, 2025
Source: Flighttracker24
The London Metropolitan Police said that the Department of Terrorism Control would now lead the fire, although there was “no indication of a bad game”.
“In view of the location of the substation and the influence that this incident had on the critical national infrastructure, the command of the Met now leads the counter terrorism command through the inquiries,” said the force in one position on X.
“This is due to the specialized resources and skills in this command with which this examination can be further developed to minimize the disorder and identify the cause,” it said.
“Heathrow has a significant power failure through the airport. … While firefighters react to the incident, we have no clarity about when the power will be reliably restored,” said a spokesman for Heathrow on Friday on Friday.
Canceled and redirected flights
More than 120 flights were already in the air when the closure was announced and, according to Flighttadar24, was redirected or returned to their original airports. Almost three quarters of the flights to leave Heathrow, or 500 flights, and half of the 300 flights intended for the airport, were also scrubbed.
The airlines all over the world, carrying out flights in and from Heathrow, asked the passengers to stay at home.
The closure of the fire and the airport had thousands stranded by travelers. British respiratory tract was the most affected airline, with more than half of their Friday plan canceled.
The airline said that it would offer “flexible options” for the rebooking to passengers who would travel to or from Heathrow on Friday to the weekend in an online contribution.
“Our teams are currently working hard to check our long -distance plan and the effects on our schedule tomorrow and beyond,” says a statement.
Since the fire seems to be outside the control of the airlines, you may not have to cover compensation, according to a note issued by Citi on Friday.
American airlinesA partner of British Airways throughout the Atlantic said almost 20 flights from Thursdays had been redirected or canceled and he provided hotels for affected customers overnight. Another 20 were canceled on Friday.
It was not clear when his operations would be resumed and a spokeswoman for American said she would restart Heathrow operations “if the airport conditions allow”.
European travel and leisure acts fell on the news of the closure of the airport.
“Catastrophic” fire
The workers examine the electrical substation after a fire in an electrical substation that supplies electricity on March 21, 2025 in London, Great Britain. The British Heathrow Airport announced early Friday that after a fire brigade, it was forced to advertise the system after a fire brigade in an electric substation. (Photo by Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu on Getty Images)
Rasid Necati Aslim | Anatolia | Getty pictures
According to Reuters, Ed Miliband, British Energy Minister, described the fire as “catastrophic” and added that the backup generator of the airport was affected by the flame.
In an interview with ITV's “Good Morning Britain”, Miliband said that the national network said to him: “It is like a fire that you have never seen something like the extent of what happened before”, according to a contribution from the program on X.
Miliband added that the national network tried to use another security system to restore the airport's power supply.
The power failures also affected around 16,000 houses around the airport. According to the British energy company Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, electrical supply to all up to 4,900 was restored from 8 a.m.
Travel chaos as Londons Heathrow remains closed. The following tell airlines the passengers
“Heathrow makes it look pretty vulnerable”
According to its website, Heathrow Airport has an estimated 1,300 starts and landings at the airport per day. Last year it was a record of 83.9 million passengers – an increase of almost 6% compared to 2023.
In conversation with “good morning Great Britain,” said Miliband on Friday, “we have to understand why this happened, and we have to find out what the lessons are for the resilience of our infrastructure.”
Firefighters cheat on the flames of a fire that broke out on March 21, 2025 in a substation with electricity from Heathrow Airport in Hayes, West London.
Benjamin Cremel | AFP | Getty pictures
He said that the national network had examined whether there is “sufficient resilience” at the airport, since the fire also influenced a backup generator.
“Heathrow makes it look pretty vulnerable. And that's why we have to learn lessons … not only Heathrow, but how we protect our main infrastructure,” said Miliband.
Willie Walsh, CEO of the International Air Transport Association, or IATA, an airline industrial group, criticized the Heathrow Airport in an online declaration “completely dependent on a single power source without alternative” and described it as “total planning failure” from the airport.
Walsh asked who would cover the costs of the resulting travel disorders.
“We have to find a fairer assignment of the costs for passenger care, as airlines alone to take up the tab if the infrastructure fails,” he said. “Until this happens, Heathrow has very little incentive to improve.”
“Very broad” implications
Anita Mendiratta, a travel and tourism consultant and founder of consulting companies on & a, described the effects of the fire and the closure of the airport as “very wide”.
“What we also have to take into account is over 4,000 tons of freight to go over Heathrow every day,” she told CNBCS “Squawk Box Europe”.
According to a post on the airport's website, more than 1.4 million tons of freight flew in and from Heathrow from Heathrow, with 90% of the goods being transported in the deputy of passenger aircraft.
Airport officers said they updated travelers “if further information is available to resume the company”.
Travelers can check the website or the social media platforms of the Heathrow Airport, including X, according to the latest information.
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