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Why is London's Heathrow Airport closed? When will it open? How Air India, other airlines reacted as 1,350 flights hit
Heathrow Airport closed March 21 due to a fire at a nearby electrical substation. Power outages impacted 100,000 homes, with around 4,000 still without power.
Heathrow Airport in Britain’s London was closed all day on Friday, March 21, after a major fire at a nearby electrical substation knocked out its power, disrupting hundreds of flights at Europe's busiest travel hub.
According to flight tracking service FlightRadar 24, at least 1,350 flights to and from Heathrow were affected, and the impact was likely to last several days as passengers try to reschedule their travel.
Around 120 flights were airborne when the closure was announced, forcing some to turn back, while others were rerouted to alternative airports, including Gatwick near London, Charles de Gaulle in Paris, and Shannon in Ireland, as per flight tracking data.
Also Read | Heathrow Airport shut: Air India flights return, airline issues advisory for passengers
What happened?
Britain's Heathrow airport shut down early on Friday after a major fire at an electricity substation cut power to the sprawling hub.
London Fire Brigade was called to the "significant" blaze at Hayes in west London at 11:23pm (2323 GMT). It said 10 fire engines and dozens of firefighters were sent to the scene, while around 150 people had been evacuated from nearby properties.
Also Read | London's Heathrow Airport closed: How to get flight refunds amid power outage and fire
London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner Pat Goulbourne said firefighters had worked “tirelessly in challenging conditions” and that around 8am the fire had been brought “under control”.
The government would be “doing everything we can” to restore power to Heathrow, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said.
The outage left 100,000 homes without power overnight, he said, but that power had been restored to all but around 4,000.
It was “speculative” to suggest at the moment that arson might have caused the fire, the chairwoman of a parliamentary transport committee, Ruth Cadbury, said.
"There are obviously questions about it," she told Times Radio.
Top airlines affected
- British Airways
- Virgin Atlantic Lufthansa
- American Airlines
- United Airlines
- Swiss
- Eurowings Delta Air Lines
- Air India
Here is what airlines are saying about the closure:
Air India: "London Heathrow-bound AI129 from Mumbai is returning to Mumbai; AI161 from Delhi is diverting to Frankfurt. All our remaining flights to and from London Heathrow, including AI111 of this morning, have been cancelled for 21 March."
British Airways: “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.”
United Airlines: "Seven United flights returned to their origin or to other airports, and Friday flights to London Heathrow are being cancelled. We are working with our customers to offer alternative travel options."
Aer Lingus: "Cancelling all flights to and from London Heathrow Airport until further notice today following the closure of the airport by the authorities."
Virgin Atlantic: "This has had a significant impact on our flying programme both into and out of Heathrow and all Virgin Atlantic arriving and departing flights are cancelled until midday on 21 March, with the rest of today’s schedule currently under review."
Qantas: "Our Singapore-London and Perth-London services were diverted to Paris today, with buses arranged to take customers on to London."
Scandinavian Airlines System: "All our 12 round trips are so far cancelled to and from Heathrow. We will keep affected passengers informed.
Ryanair: Ryanair in a post on X said it had added up to 8 rescue flights between Dublin and London Stansted, to rescue passengers affected by Heathrow's closure.
Singapore Airlines: A spokesperson for the airline said four flights from Singapore to London were affected, and four flights from London to Singapore have been cancelled. Source: Data from Cirium Ascend, company statements. Note: The seats represent capacity, not ticketed passengers.
About Heathrow
- It opened in 1946 as London Airport before being renamed Heath Row after a hamlet demolished two years earlier to make way for the construction.
- The airport itself covers a total area of 12.3 square kilometres (4.8 square miles).
- Situated 25 kilometres west of central London, Heathrow currently has four terminals and serves 200 destinations in more than 80 countries.
- Among its main flight destinations last year were Dublin, Los Angeles, Madrid and New York.
(With inputs from agencies)
