A massive fire near Heathrow Airport in London caused a power outage on Friday, leading to the closure of Europe’s busiest airport and affecting global travel for hundreds of thousands.
It is reported reported that around 1,350 flights to and from Heathrow were disrupted. The repercussions are expected to persist for several days as passengers reschedule and airlines reposition aircraft and crew.
Local residents in west London reported a loud explosion followed by a fireball and smoke plumes when the fire broke out at an electrical substation near the airport.
Approximately 120 flights were airborne during the announcement of the closure, with some returning to their origin and others rerouted to airports such as Gatwick, Charles de Gaulle, or Shannon.
Lawrence Hayes was nearing London from New York on a Virgin Atlantic flight when he learned of their diversion to Glasgow. He told the media, “It was a red-eye flight, and I’d already had a full day, so I don’t even know how long I’ve been up.”
“Fortunately, I managed to get hold of my wife, and she kindly booked me a train ticket back to Euston, but it’s going to be an incredibly long day.”
Heathrow ranks among the busiest international airports globally. Earlier this year, it recorded its busiest January ever, handling over 6.3 million passengers, a rise of over 5% compared to the previous year.
However, the recent disruption did not approach the scale of chaos caused by the 2010 eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which emitted ash clouds disrupting trans-Atlantic flights for several months.
Determining the cause of the massive fire, located about 2 miles from the airport, is still premature. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband confirmed there is no indication of any criminal activity.
The investigation is being spearheaded by the London Fire Brigade with assistance from the Metropolitan Police.
Miliband noted that the fire, which took seven hours to contain, also disrupted a secondary power source at the airport. Consequently, Heathrow announced that shutting down for the day was unavoidable.
Heathrow anticipates considerable disruptions in the coming days and advises passengers to avoid traveling to the airport until it reopens.
In 2023, Heathrow experienced a less severe disruption when a malfunction in Britain’s air traffic control system delayed flights throughout the U.K. on a heavily trafficked day.
Aviation consultant Anita Mendiratta stated that the closure’s effects would linger for two to four days as airlines and crews reorganize and passengers rearrange their flights.
“As soon as the airport opens at midnight tonight, it’s not only about resuming with tomorrow’s flights, it’s about managing the backlog and the implications that have arisen,” Mendiratta said.
“Many crew members and aircraft are not where they’re supposed to be right now. So, the recalculations are going to be intense.”
