New Delhi:
An estimated 1,351 flights, including those operated by Air India, were cancelled or diverted Friday after London’s Heathrow airport shut down for the day. This was after a fire at an electrical substation in the western part of the city triggered a widespread power outage.
There is no word yet on when power will be restored to the airport, authorities told the BBC.
Apart from chaos at Heathrow – one of the busiest airports in the world and largest of five serving London and nearby areas – more than 16,000 homes in the UK capital lost power.
As many as 120 flights were in the air over Heathrow, either having just taken off or about to land.
Among those due were the AI129 service from Mumbai and the AI161 from Delhi. The former will return and the latter has been diverted to Frankfurt in Germany, the Indian carrier said in a statement.
“All our remaining flights to and from London Heathrow, including AI111 (another Delhi-London service) have been cancelled for 21 March. We will update about resumption as soon as we have information.”
#ImportantUpdate
Due to a significant power outage, London Heathrow Airport has been shut down until 23:59 on 21st March. All Air India flights to and from London Heathrow for 21st March have been cancelled.For more information or assistance, please call our Contact Centre at…
— Air India (@airindia) March 21, 2025
Flights to and from London’s Gatwick, however, will be unaffected, and the airport, which is about 60km southeast of Heathrow, has said it will accept flights diverted from Heathrow.
Apart from Air India, numerous other airlines have announced cancellations and/or diversions, with Heathrow authorities also warning of “significant disruptions over the coming days”.
Major Airlines Cancel, Divert Flights
British Airways, whose main hub is Heathrow, has advised passengers not to travel there till further notice. The airline told the BBC there will be “a significant impact on our operation and our customers”.
The Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam said half of the day’s 30 flights to and from Heathrow today had been cancelled. So far, one flight has been diverted to Schiphol, it said on X.
Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific Airways has also cancelled all its flights. It had six scheduled from Hong Kong to Heathrow for today. One service – CX257 – had already left and has been recalled.
Australia’s flagship airline, Qantas, told the BBC it is “closely monitoring the situation”. Two of its flights, the Perth to London service and from Singapore, have been diverted to De Gaulle in Paris, France.
US-based United Airlines has said its schedule has also been affected.
London Substation Fire Update
The fire that affected Heathrow and swathes of the UK capital was at a substation in Hayes in the city’s Hillingdon borough. As many as 16,000 homes were left without electricity after the blaze, the Scottish and Southern Electricity Network, which supplies power to 3.8 million homes across the UK, said.
READ | Major Fire In London Substation, Heathrow Airport Closed
The London Fire Brigade deployed 10 fire engines and 70 firefighters to control the fire.
Visuals of the fire were shared online by Sputnik, Russia’s state-owned news agency. It showed a blaze lighting up the night sky, with a massive plume of smoke rising into the air.
As of 11.34 am (India time) the blaze remains active, London fire officials said.
With input from agencies
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