London’s Heathrow Airport closed Friday after a fire at a nearby electrical substation caused a power outage, disrupting travel for tens of thousands of passengers planning to fly in or out of Europe’s busiest airport.
The first flight since the closure departed late Friday local time, and Heathrow posted on X that it hopes to run a “full operation” on Saturday.
More than 800 flights were canceled in and out of the airport on Friday, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware, as of the most recent update, upending travel at the major hub and connecting airport.
Airlines warned travelers that disruptions could continue into the weekend, and Heathrow posted that travelers shouldn’t go to the airport unless advised to do so by their airline.
FlightTracker data after a major electrical fire near Heather International closed the airport on March 21st, 2025
Source: FlightTracker24
London’s Metropolitan Police said that while there was “no indication of foul play,” the counterterrorism division would now lead the investigation into the fire.
“Given the location of the substation and the impact this incident has had on critical national infrastructure, the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command is now leading enquiries,” the force said in a post on X.
“This is due to the specialist resources and capabilities within that command that can assist in progressing this investigation at pace to minimise disruption and identify the cause,” it said.
“Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage across the airport. … Whilst fire crews are responding to the incident, we do not have clarity on when power may be reliably restored,” a Heathrow spokesperson said earlier Friday.
Canceled and diverted flights
More than 120 flights were already in the air when the closure was announced and were diverted or returned to their originating airports, according to Flightradar24. Nearly three-quarters of the flights scheduled to depart from Heathrow, or 500 flights, and half of the arrivals destined for the airport, 300 flights, were also scrubbed.
Airlines around the world due to operate flights into and out of Heathrow told passengers to stay home.
The fire and airport closure left thousands of travelers stranded. British Airways was the most affected airline, with over half of its Friday schedule canceled.
The airline said it would offer “flexible options” for rebooking to passengers set to travel to or from Heathrow on Friday through the weekend, in an online post.
“Our teams are currently working hard to review our long-haul schedule as well as the implications for our schedule tomorrow and beyond,” it said in a statement.
As the fire appears to be outside of the airlines’ control, they may not be required to cover compensation, according to a note issued by Citi on Friday.
American Airlines, a British Airways partner across the Atlantic, said almost 20 flights from Thursday were diverted or canceled and that it provided overnight hotels for affected customers. It canceled…
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