Heathrow airport closed today after massive fire at London power substation. Here’s what passengers are advised…

London's Heathrow Airport, via its official social media account on X (formerly Twitter), has informed travellers and passengers that it will be closed on March 21 due to a fire-related emergency. The airport added, “We apologise for the inconvenience.”

This is the second time a fire-related emergency has affected passengers at the London airport this month. On March 10, Heathrow passengers were warned of potential delays and congestion after a car burst into flames in a tunnel close to the airport terminal.

What is the impact of Heathrow's Closure? How Many Flights Affected?

According to a Reuters report, at least 120 inbound flights to Heathrow were diverted, and services for another 1,351 flights at the airport were also affected.

Notably, Heathrow is named after the ancient hamlet of Heath Row, an agricultural area that was demolished in 1944 to develop the airfield. According to an AFP report, London's main international airport handles around 80 million passengers annually and has approximately 1,300 takeoffs and landings per day.

Air India Advisory: Services Disrupted, Check Flight Details Here

Indian aviation major Air India has in its statement on the Heathrow shutdown notified passengers of disruption in services as follows:

• London Heathrow-bound AI129 from Mumbai is returning to Mumbai;
• AI161 from Delhi is diverting to Frankfurt.
• All remaining Air India flights to and from London Heathrow, including AI111 of this morning, have been cancelled for 21 March.

“We will update about resumption of operations as soon as we have more information. Flights to London Gatwick remain unaffected,” the airline added.

Why is London's Heathrow Airport Closed Today?

Writing on X, the official account of Heathrow Airport said, “Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage. To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23h59 on 21 March.”

According to an AP report, around 150 people were evacuated after a transformer within an electrical substation caught fire in west London at 11:23 p.m. on March 20. The incident affected the airport and at least 16,000 homes in the Hayes area. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.

The London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne told AP that 10 fire engines and around 70 firefighters were on the scene of the fire. “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 minimize disruption,” Goulbourne told the agency.

For How Long Will Heathrow Airport Be Closed?

As per the post dated March 20, local time (early in the morning IST on March 21), the airport will be closed until 11.59 pm on Friday.

A Reuters report cited tracking data from FlightRadar24, which showed several flights diverted to other airports, including a Qantas Airways plane to Paris and a United Airlines flight to Shannon, Ireland. It added that some flights even turned around mid-air and returned to their point of departure.

Heathrow Closed: What Should Passengers and Travellers Do?

According to the official post by Heathrow, passengers are “advised not to travel to the airport and should contact their airline for further information.”

There is no clear time given for when services would resume. A Heathrow airport spokesperson told Reuters they expect significant disruption over the coming days.

How Are Passengers and Netizens Reacting to the Shutdown?

One passenger and social media user shared on X, “90 minutes flight to London, captain comes on and says we're going back to LAX because there's a fire at a substation near Heathrow, which is now closed for 24 hours.”

Another wrote: “We are over the Atlantic Ocean right now and they are turning our plane around due to a fire at Heathrow Airport. With a 2 year old and 3 year old in tow and on our way to a wedding that we might not make in time now.”

Some were even tracking flight paths and shared it on X.

Viral Videos of the Fire On Social Media: Watch

Videos of the flames touching the sky went viral on social media with many users posting to show the extend of the fire.

(With inputs from Agencies)