DUBAI: A massive power outage at London’s Heathrow Airport has forced a total shutdown, disrupting thousands of flights and leaving passengers stranded worldwide.
The crisis, triggered by a fire at a nearby electrical substation, has brought operations at one of the world’s busiest travel hubs to a standstill.
Emirates and Etihad Airways, two of the UAE’s largest carriers, have cancelled multiple flights to and from Heathrow. Etihad confirmed that services EY63, EY64, EY65, and EY66 between Abu Dhabi and London were scrapped, while EY61 was rerouted to Frankfurt. Emirates also cancelled flights EK001, EK002, EK029, EK030, EK031, and EK032, advising passengers to check for updates as the situation develops.
The disruption has sent shockwaves through global aviation networks, with over 1,350 flights affected. Qantas redirected its Singapore-London and Perth-London services to Paris, where stranded travellers were transported by bus.
United Airlines diverted a New York flight to Shannon, Ireland, while another service from San Francisco turned back to Washington, D.C.
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic rerouted flights to Gatwick as Heathrow remained out of operation.
London-Heathrow will be closed for ALL of Friday due to a “significant power outage” caused by a fire in an electrical substation.
There are currently 120 aircraft in the air that will be diverting to alternate airports or returning to their origins.
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24.com) March 21, 2025 at 8:43 AM
www.flightradar24.com/airport/lhr
[image or embed]
Fire at Hayes Substation
The chaos began when a fire broke out at an electrical substation in Hayes, just north of Heathrow. London Fire Brigade deployed 70 firefighters and 10 engines to tackle the blaze, which caused widespread power outages affecting more than 16,300 homes. Emergency crews warned that the incident would be “prolonged,” with disruption expected to last for days.
Impact on global travel
With Heathrow handling over 200,000 passengers and more than 1,400 flights daily, the shutdown has sent ripple effects across international travel. The airport, ranked as the second-busiest international hub in 2024 behind Dubai, plays a vital role in connecting passengers worldwide.
Authorities have urged travellers not to go to the airport and to check with their airlines for rebooking options.
With airlines scrambling to reposition aircraft and reschedule flights, the full impact of the closure is yet to be seen.