Victor EzejaThousands of travellers are stranded as many flights have been cancelled following a fire outbreak at Heathrow Airport on Friday.
A statement posted on Heathrow Airport’s X account on Friday, said the fire emanated from an electrical substation supplying power to the airport.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe incident has caused significant power outage at the airport causing thousands of flights in and out of the airport to be either cancelled or diverted.
The statement said the airport will be closed until 23:59 on 21 March and advised all passengers not to travel to the airport until the issue is resolved.
“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 23:59 on 21 March. Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport and should contact their airline for further information. We apologise for the inconvenience,” Heathrow stated via its X account.
The incident has caused severe disruption for Heathrow, as well as homes and businesses in the area, as flights are not expected to resume until midnight.
The cause of the fire is still unclear. The electricity substation is said to be in Hayes, a town in west London. A large fire that came out of the facility has led to the evacuation of several nearby homes, according to The Mirror.
Heathrow is a major aviation hub globally, served by British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Delta Air Lines and other firms.
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Various airlines have issued notices to their passengers not to travel to the airport until further notice. In a post on its X account, British Airways said: “Due to a power outage in the London Heathrow area, London Heathrow Airport is currently closed.
“As a result, customers due to travel from Heathrow on Friday are advised not to travel to the airport until further notice.
“This will clearly have a significant impact on our operation and our customers and we’re working as quickly as possible to update them on their travel options for the next 24 hours and beyond.”
Also, Lufthansa canceled all flights to and from Heathrow on Friday.
More than 200,000 people are said to travel through Heathrow Airport everyday. London-bound flights are said to be diverted to Amsterdam, Paris, Ireland and even Gatwick.
FlightRadar24 data show that the airport closure affected more than 1,350 flights, including 679 scheduled to land and 678 due to depart from Heathrow. It also revealed that about 120 planes were in the air searching for a space to land as of 9 am.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
