London: Heathrow Airport Closed Due to Massive Fire at Electrical Substation

London is in a state of emergency since midnight (21.03.2025) due to a massive fire that broke out at an electrical substation near Heathrow Airport. ‘Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage across the entire facility due to a large fire at a nearby electrical substation,’ stated a representative of London’s airport, informing that flights are canceled for 24 hours. ‘To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, we have no other option but to close the airport until 23:59 on March 21, 2025. Passengers are urged not to come to the airport until it reopens,’ they added. The fire erupted approximately 1.5 miles away from the airport in the Hayes area. Besides severe flight disruptions, at least 16,000 homes have been left without power. Images emerging from Heathrow Airport are shocking; the large flames and thick black smoke have overwhelmed the area, prompting authorities to urge citizens to close their windows. At the time of the fire, at least 150 people were inside the airport, who evacuated immediately following orders. As one of the busiest airports in the world, serving over 80 million passengers annually or 230,000 daily, this incident has caused significant chaos. Among the flights forced to change routes was a Qantas flight from Perth, Australia, which diverted to Charles de Gaulle in Paris, and a United Airlines flight from New York, which diverted to Shannon, Ireland, according to FlightRadar24 data.