Heathrow Airport closed after huge fire: Simon Calder explains your rights if your flight is cancelled or delayed

Heathrow Airport has been closed until at least midnight tonight (21 March) after experiencing a major power outage following a fire at a west London electrical substation.

Passengers were asked not to travel to the airport “under any circumstances”, while British Airways said it would not be operating flights out of its global hub “until further notice”.

At least 1,351 flights to or from Heathrow today will be directly impacted, flight tracking service FlightRadar24 said. That doesn’t account for the inevitable knock-on effects from the all-day shutdown.

The Independent’sSimon Calder explains all you need to know and your rights if your flight has been delayed or cancelled.