A massive fire at an electricity substation near Heathrow Airport has led to a total shutdown of one of the world’s busiest travel hubs, disrupting more than 1,300 flights and affecting tens of thousands of passengers.
The London Fire Brigade said the blaze would be a “prolonged incident,” with nearby residents facing increasing disruptions, CNN reports.
Heathrow Airport has warned of “significant disruption” over the coming days, advising passengers, “Do not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens.” The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Flight analytics firm Cirium estimated that “upwards of 145,000” passengers could be impacted, with flights from cities such as Singapore, Seoul, and Perth among those affected. Cirium spokesperson Mike Arnot noted, “Each aircraft on the long-haul routes will have some 250-400 passengers on the outbound flight, along with a similar number waiting to return.
“Accordingly, it can take several days to accommodate all of the passengers.”
New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport had the highest number of scheduled departures to Heathrow on Friday, with 21 flights affected. Many flights already in the air were forced to divert to alternative airports across Europe and North America. Some were even turned back to their original departure points.
One affected passenger, Kim Mikkel Skibrek, was three hours into his Delta Air Lines flight to London when the crew announced they had to return to Minneapolis due to the fire.
“Everything is fine. People were frustrated with the flight returning after over three hours but now it seems everyone is calmer,” Skibrek said. He had been travelling to Oslo to see his father, who has cancer.
Another passenger, Abby Hertz, was en route to a wedding in London with her husband and two young children when her flight was forced to turn around.
“The couple’s son had leukemia and is now in remission, so they are finally getting married,” she said.
Delta later rebooked her family on a flight scheduled to leave Friday night. “We just might make the wedding after all!” she added.
Firefighters continue battling the substation blaze, which has caused massive travel disruption and left thousands of homes without power. London Fire Brigade station commander Paul Morgan stated,
“The substation is currently still ablaze. Firefighters are working to isolate the electricity, which will then allow them to tackle the blaze with firefighting foam.”
Aviation expert Geoffrey Thomas criticised Heathrow’s lack of backup power.
“You are our major hub to the world. You are incredibly important to the economy of the United Kingdom.
“There has to be a plan B,” he said.
Thomas added that the shutdown could lead to wider operational issues as flights get diverted to already full airports such as Gatwick, Birmingham, and Manchester.
The London Fire Brigade has received over 200 emergency calls regarding the fire.
Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne assured the public, “Our firefighters are working tirelessly in challenging conditions to bring the fire under control as swiftly as possible.”
More than 150 people have been evacuated from the area.
FlightRadar24 data shows at least 120 flights were already airborne when Heathrow closed, leading to reroutes across multiple international airports, including Amsterdam’s Schiphol and Paris’ Charles de Gaulle.
Heathrow was the world’s fourth-busiest airport in 2023, with a record-breaking 83.9 million passengers. It usually runs at 99% capacity, making the current disruption even more significant. Authorities are still assessing the damage and working on restoring power to reopen the airport.