Heathrow airport, in It was closed on Friday, March 21, 2025, after a fire in a nearby electrical substation caused a significant power outage. The closure, which will extend until 11:59 pm (local time), resulted in the cancellation of more than 1,300 flights, affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers and causing a significant impact on global air traffic.
The fire occurred in the electrical substation of North Hyde in Hayes in western London. About 70 firefighters and 10 firefighter trucks were mobilized to combat the flames. In addition to the airport, approximately 16,000 homes and companies in the area were also affected by power interruption. The fire was controlled only in the morning, just before 10am in London time (7am from Brasilia).
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and the authorities are conducting investigations to clarify the incident. Meanwhile, passengers are advised not to go to the airport “under any circumstances” to a new warning, and to contact their airlines to obtain information on alternative flights.
Several flights already on the route to London had to be diverted to other European airports, such as Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Munich, Madrid, as well as alternatives in the United Kingdom, including Manchester, Cardiff and Gatwick. Some aircraft returned to the point of origin or landed in distant places such as Iceland, Canada and Ireland.
This is Heathrow’s first full closure in 15 years – the last time was in 2010 during the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, which paralyzed air traffic across Europe. Authorities and companies warn of impact prolongation, as crews and aircraft are now spread over various parts of the continent.
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Distributor National Grid stated that the fire has damaged substation equipment, causing widespread cutting of energy in the region. In a statement, the company said it works “quickly” to restore supply. United Kingdom Energy Secretary Ed Miliband classified the case as an “unprecedented event” and confirmed that both the main system and the emergency generator were compromised.
(With information from BBC and Reuters)
