UK's Heathrow Airport shut down for a day after power outage from electrical substation

UK's Heathrow Airport shut down for a day after power outage from electrical substation

LONDON, March 21 — Britain’s Heathrow Airport announced its closure until midnight following a major power outage caused by a fire at a nearby electrical substation.‍

World
World

LONDON, March 21 — Britain’s Heathrow Airport announced its closure until midnight following a major power outage caused by a fire at a nearby electrical substation.

“For the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will remain closed until 23:59 on March 21,” the airport said in a post on X, advising travelers to avoid heading to the airport.

Fire crews are working to contain the blaze, but there is no clear timeline for restoring power, a Heathrow spokesperson told Reuters, warning of significant disruptions in the coming days.

Eurocontrol, which oversees air traffic across Europe, stated on its operations website that Heathrow has halted all arrivals due to the outage, with diversion plans in place.

According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, several flights have already been rerouted. Qantas Airways diverted its Perth flight to Paris, while a United Airlines flight from New York was redirected to Shannon, Ireland. Meanwhile, a United Airlines flight from San Francisco is now set to land in Washington, DC instead of London.

In 2024, Heathrow ranked as the world’s second-busiest international airport after Dubai, according to travel data firm OAG.

Striking images capture flames engulfing the structure, with smoke rising into the night sky. — Picture via X

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