Heathrow Airport Closes Due to Fire Affecting Thousands of Travelers

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London Heathrow Airport—one of the world's busiest transit hubs—was forced to shut down due to a fire at a nearby electrical substation that caused a massive blackoutThe incident has had a major impact on international travel, affecting thousands of passengers and drastically altering upcoming flight plans.

A Blackout That Paralyzed Travel

The fire broke out at a substation in Hayes, west London, on Thursday night, cutting off power to the airport. According to authorities, the power failure affected not only the airport facilities but also more than 16,300 local homes and businesses. Heathrow management announced that the airport would remain closed for security reasons until 11:59 p.m. Friday and advised passengers not to go to the site.

The London Fire Brigade deployed 10 engines and around 70 firefighters to control the blaze, which generated a large amount of smoke in the area. Although the fire was brought under control by 8 a.m. Friday, crews remained on the scene throughout the day to prevent further incidents.

Impact on Travelers and Airlines

The closure has disrupted the travel plans of approximately 200,000 passengers. Tracking services such as FlightRadar24 reported that at least 1,350 flights were canceled or diverted to other airports, including Gatwick in London, Charles de Gaulle in Paris, and Shannon in Ireland. British Airways, whose main base is Heathrow, warned that the disruption would significantly affect its operations for at least the next 24 hours, and possibly longer.

Ongoing Research and Long-Term Consequences

The London Metropolitan Police said there is no evidence that the fire was intentionally set. However, since the airport is considered critical infrastructure, the Counter Terrorism Command has taken over the investigation to determine the cause as quickly as possible. Local witnesses reported hearing explosions before the fire started.

Government Response

UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Ed Miliband, declared that A full investigation will be conducted into the causes of the fire and the resilience of key infrastructure such as Heathrow. Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed his support for those affected and thanked the emergency services for their work.

Full recovery could take several days, affecting both passengers and airline logistics.

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Fountain: CBS News