Heathrow Airport closed: British Airways issues update

More than 1,300 flights to and from the airport will be disrupted today, Friday, March 21.

It comes after the airport closed following a fire at a nearby electrical substation.

British Airways, which operates from London Terminal 3 and Terminal 5, has issued a statement to customers amid the chaos.

Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage.

To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23h59 on 21 March.

Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport… pic.twitter.com/7SWNJP8ojd

— Heathrow Airport (@HeathrowAirport) March 21, 2025

British Airways statement on Heathrow Airport closure

British Airways, one of the country’s biggest airlines, is one of several affected by the power outage and subsequent closure.

It has now issued an update for customers.

A statement shared on X said: “Due to a power outage in the London Heathrow area, London Heathrow Airport is currently closed.

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“As a result, customers due to travel from Heathrow on Friday are advised not to travel to the airport until further notice.

“This will clearly have a significant impact on our operation and our customers and we’re working as quickly as possible to update them on their travel options for the next 24 hours and beyond.”

Why is Heathrow closed?

Following a transformer fire at the North Hyde electrical substation, thousands of homes have been left without power.

The airport, which is the largest in the UK and supplied by the substation, said it was among those impacted by the power outage.

Passengers are being warned to expect disruption for several days, with many planes and flight crews now in the wrong location.

A fire at Hayes electrical substation has caused a large scale power outage in the area which has affected Heathrow Airport (Image: @JoselynEMuirhe1/PA Wire) A Heathrow spokesperson said: “Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage across the airport due to a large fire at a nearby electrical substation. Whilst fire crews are responding to the incident, we do not have clarity on when power may be reliably restored.

“To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, we have no choice but to close Heathrow until 23h59 on March 21, 2025.

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“We expect significant disruption over the coming days and passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens.

“We will provide an update when more information on the resumption of operations is available.

“We know this will be disappointing for passengers and we want to reassure that we are working as hard as possible to resolve the situation.”