The Heathrow Airport has been forced to close its operations on Friday due to a major power outage. This disruption stems from a fire at a nearby electrical substation, causing widespread power failures and affecting thousands of homes.
What Happened: The Heathrow Airport will remain closed throughout Friday following a “significant” power outage caused by a fire at a nearby electrical substation.
The fire, which occurred in Hayes, west London, has left thousands of homes without electricity and led to the evacuation of 150 people from nearby properties.
In a post on X, the airport confirmed the closure and advised passengers not to travel to the airport.
The closure of the UK’s busiest airport is expected to result in “significant disruption” over the coming days, with passengers advised not to travel until the situation is resolved.
Emergency services responded to the incident at 23:23 GMT, and video footage shared on social media showed flames and smoke emanating from the substation.
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Why It Matters: Flight tracking website Flightradar24 reported that at least 1,351 flights to and from Heathrow will be affected on Friday, with some 120 aircraft already airborne when the closure was announced.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) stated that part of a transformer within the substation remains alight, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Ten fire engines and approximately 70 firefighters have been deployed to manage the blaze. A 200-meter cordon has been established as a precaution, and local residents have been advised to keep doors and windows shut due to the smoke. LFB has successfully led 29 people to safety from nearby properties.
More than 16,300 homes have experienced power outages due to the fire, according to energy supplier Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks. Power has since been restored to some properties.
This event follows a similar aviation disruption earlier this month when an engine fire on an American Airlines Group Inc. AAL flight led to an emergency evacuation at Denver International Airport.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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