Fire at London Substation Forces Heathrow Airport Closure and Disrupts Thousands of Flights

A major blaze at an electrical substation in Hayes has caused a power outage affecting Heathrow Airport and over 16,000 homes, with disruptions expected to last for days.

Heathrow Airport, one of the world's busiest, is closed until 11:59 PM on March 21, 2025, due to a power outage caused by a fire at a nearby substation.
The fire, involving a transformer at the North Hyde substation in Hayes, required 70 firefighters and 10 fire engines to respond, with 150 people evacuated from nearby properties.
Over 16,000 homes and businesses in Hayes and Hounslow are without power as emergency crews work to control the blaze, which began late on March 20.
At least 120 flights already in the air have been diverted, with significant global travel disruptions affecting over 1,300 scheduled flights to and from Heathrow.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, and authorities warn of prolonged impacts on travel and local infrastructure in the coming days.