Heathrow, Europe’s Largest Airport, Paralyzed by Power Outage

The entire day was disrupted by a major power outage at London's Heathrow Airport, Europe's largest, which paralyzed its operations.

Heathrow Airport Crippled by Power Outage

Europe’s largest airport, Heathrow, was forced to shut down on Friday, March 21, 2025, due to a power outage caused by a fire, significantly disrupting global air traffic.

Fire Causes Major Power Failure

The outage originated from a major fire at the Hayes electrical substation in West London, which powers the airport.

This incident impacted not only the airport but also affected around 16,000 local homes and businesses, according to the electrical operator Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks.

Significant Impact on Air Traffic

In response, Heathrow Airport Holdings announced that the airport would be “closed until 11:59 PM on March 21” and anticipated “serious traffic disruptions in the following days”. They advised travelers to “avoid coming to the airport” until it reopens.

Among the affected flights were two Qantas flights headed to Heathrow, which were diverted to Paris Charles de Gaulle, and a United Airlines flight from New York, which landed in Shannon, Ireland.

Heathrow: A Major Global Hub

Established in 1946, Heathrow is the busiest of the five airports serving the UK capital, handling over 80 million passengers annually.

It connects to numerous global destinations, with Dublin, Los Angeles, Madrid, and New York among the most popular. The airport sees about 230,000 passengers daily.