Heathrow Airport to be closed all day on Friday after power outage due to fire

Heathrow says significant disruption at airport could last for ‘days’

Heathrow airport has been shut until at least midnight on Friday after a fire at a nearby electrical substation caused a significant power outage, leading to chaos at one of the world’s busiest airports.

The airport is experiencing a "significant power outage" because of a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, a statement from Heathrow said on Friday and advised passengers to not travel to the airport for the day.

"To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23:59 on 21 March," it added.

A Heathrow spokesperson said: "Whilst fire crews are responding to the incident, we do not have clarity on when power may be reliably restored.”

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"We expect significant disruption over the coming days and passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens," the statement added.

The fire at an electrical substation in Hayes in west London caused power outages for thousands of homes with nearly 150 people being evacuated from the area.

Heathrow is UK's busiest airport (REUTERS)

More than 16,000 homes were without power as the London fire brigade said it was trying to control the fire with 10 fire engines and 70 firefighters.

"The fire has caused a power outage affecting a large number of homes and local businesses, and we are working closely with our partners to minimise disruption," London Fire Brigade's assistant commissioner Pat Goulbourne said.

"Firefighters have led 29 people to safety from neighbouring properties, and as a precaution, a 200m cordon has been established, with around 150 people evacuated."

The closure has thrown travel plans for hundreds of thousands of passengers into chaos, with many flights to the airport already diverting.

According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, Qantas Airways sent its flight from Perth to Paris and a United Airlines New York flight heading to Shannon, Ireland.

Flight bound to Heathrow are being diverted (REUTERS)

FightRadar24 said at least 120 fights which were bound for Heathrow will have to be diverted to other airports due to the closure.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said the large-scale power cut in the area has affected 16,300 homes.

"We're aware of a widespread power cut affecting many of our customers around the Hayes, Hounslow and surrounding areas," it added.

The cause of the fire was yet to be determined. Emergency services responded to the scene 11.23pm on Thursday.

Mr Goulbourne said it would be a “prolonged incident”, with crews remaining on scene throughout the night.

“As we head into the morning, disruption is expected to increase, and we urge people to avoid the area wherever possible.”

London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) is one of the busiest airports in the world as it handles more than 1,400 flights and 200,000 passengers in a day. It is the UK’s largest airport, connecting over 200 destinations across more than 85 countries.