Massive Fire Shuts Down London’s Heathrow Airport, Disrupts Global Travel

A massive fire at an electrical substation near Heathrow Airport plunged Europe’s busiest travel hub into darkness on Friday, forcing it to shut down operations for the entire day and disrupting flights for hundreds of thousands of passengers worldwide. The blaze, which erupted late Thursday night, knocked out both the primary and backup power systems, causing mass flight cancellations and diversions.

Witnesses in west London reported hearing a loud explosion followed by a fireball and thick plumes of smoke billowing into the night sky as the substation caught fire. Around 70 firefighters battled the intense blaze, which they managed to bring under control by early morning.

“Our fire investigators will begin their investigation, and we will continue working closely with our partners to minimize disruption and support the community,” the London Fire Brigade said.

Authorities said the cause of the fire was still unknown, but UK Energy Minister Ed Miliband confirmed that there was no evidence of foul play.

Heathrow, one of the world’s most significant international hubs, was due to handle 1,351 flights on Friday, accommodating nearly 291,000 passengers. However, the fire brought operations to a complete halt, with the airport announcing it would remain closed until at least midnight.

“Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport and should contact their airline for further information,” Heathrow officials said. “We apologize for the inconvenience.”

According to flight tracking service FlightRadar24, at least 1,350 flights to and from Heathrow were affected, with the disruption expected to reverberate for several days as airlines scramble to reposition planes and crew.

More than 120 flights were already in the air when the closure was announced, forcing many to reroute. Some were diverted to nearby airports such as Gatwick, Charles de Gaulle in Paris, or Shannon Airport in Ireland, while others turned back to their departure points.

Toronto Pearson Airport confirmed that all arriving flights from Heathrow had been cancelled. The airport’s website listed at least five inbound flights and two departing flights to London as cancelled.

The chaos at Heathrow is expected to have a ripple effect across global air travel. With more than 6.3 million passengers passing through the airport in January alone—a record-breaking figure up over 5% from the same period last year—the disruption is likely to extend far beyond the UK.

“Heathrow is one of the major hubs of the world,” said Ian Petchenik, spokesperson for FlightRadar24. “This is going to disrupt airlines’ operations around the world.”

British Airways, the largest carrier at Heathrow, had 341 flights scheduled to land on Friday, all of which were impacted. The incident also rattled airline stocks, with shares of British Airways’ parent company, IAG, experiencing a sharp decline.

As flights were cancelled or redirected, many passengers were left stranded mid-journey. Travel industry experts warned that some travelers diverted to European airports could be stuck in transit lounges if they lack the necessary visas to leave the airport.

On social media, frustrated passengers shared their experiences.

“#Heathrow no idea where we are going yet. Currently over Austria,” posted Adrian Spender, a traveler aboard an Airbus A380, on X (formerly Twitter).

On the ground, emergency crews evacuated approximately 150 people from nearby residential and commercial properties as a precaution. Firefighters also led 29 individuals to safety from neighboring buildings, establishing a 200-metre exclusion zone.

As engineers worked to deploy a third backup power system, Minister Miliband emphasized the need for a thorough investigation into the incident.

“With any incident like this, we will want to understand why it happened and what, if any, lessons it has for our infrastructure,” he said.