A fire in an electrical substation has caused a power outage at Heathrow Airport in London, resulting in the closure of the facility throughout this Friday, as reported by Efe following a statement from the airport operator.
"Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage. To ensure the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23:59 GMT on March 21," the airport operator announced in a statement.
"We will provide updated information when we have more details on the resumption of operations. We understand that this will be disappointing for passengers and want to assure them that we are working hard to resolve the situation," a spokesperson for the airport told The Guardian.
Several flights have been diverted to Gatwick Airport, Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, and Shannon Airport in Ireland, according to tracking services. At least 1350 flights to or from Heathrow have been affected, including several from U.S. cities that have been canceled, as reported by the flight tracking service FlightRadar 24.
According to AENA sources, the closure of Heathrow affects Barcelona with 5 outbound flights - the last canceled being the one at 12:35 hours - and six inbound flights - the last one scheduled for 13:04 hours - although operations could be affected depending on how the situation evolves.
The Spanish airport network had planned 54 operations with that airport: 29 in Madrid, 19 in Barcelona, 2 in Malaga, 2 in Tenerife South, and 2 in Valencia, as communicated by AENA.
The fire affected a power station located in west London, leaving more than 16,000 homes in the area without power, in addition to the airport.
London firefighters stated that 70 members of the force were dispatched in 10 trucks to tackle the flames.
According to The Guardian, firefighters rescued 29 people from nearby properties and took them to safety.
Heathrow is one of the world's busiest airports for international travel. This year, it recorded its best January with over 6.3 million passengers, an increase of more than 5% compared to the same period in 2024. January also marked the eleventh consecutive month with an average of over 200,000 passengers per day, citing transatlantic travel as a key factor.