- \n
- Flight operations resumed on Saturday after limited resumption at 16:31 local time on Friday, March 21, 2025<\/li>\n
- Over 1,350 flights and nearly 291,000 passengers were affected<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Update 7:00 UTC, March 22<\/h2>\n
London\u2019s Heathrow Airport resumed full operations on Saturday, one day after a fire at an electrical substation triggered a major power outage, forcing the closure of Europe\u2019s busiest airport and creating global travel disruption.<\/p>\n
While limited flights resumed on Friday evening, the near-total shutdown earlier in the day left tens of thousands of passengers stranded, scrambling for hotel rooms and alternative flights as airlines worked to reposition aircraft and crew.<\/p>\n
A Heathrow spokesperson confirmed the airport had returned to normal operations and announced additional measures to ease the backlog:<\/p>\n
\n
\u201cWe have hundreds of additional colleagues on hand in our terminals and we have added flights to today\u2019s schedule to facilitate an extra 10,000 passengers travelling through the airport.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Despite the return to full functionality, recovery is expected to take several days as carriers work through the cascade of delays and cancellations that affected both inbound and outbound networks worldwide.<\/p>\n
Update 23:00 UTC<\/h2>\n
London Heathrow Airport has resumed limited flight operations following a massive power outage that plunged the UK\u2019s busiest aviation hub into darkness. Originally scheduled to reopen early Saturday morning (UK time), some flights were able to depart ahead of schedule on Friday. The first arrival landed at Heathrow on Friday evening, approximately 18 hours after the outage began.<\/p>\n
From 16:31 local time, Heathrow began restarting operations on a restricted basis, with only Terminals 3 and 5 in use. Terminals 2 and 4 remain closed, and all flight movements require prior slot approval from Airport Coordination Limited.<\/p>\n
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![\"a](\"https:\/\/samchui.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/British-Airways-LGW-to-LHR-800x498.jpg\")
First Flight into Heathrow Airport after the closure. Image: FlightRadar24<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Initial operations at Heathrow are using easterly flow, with aircraft landing on Runway 09L and departing from Runway 09R. Full airport functionality is expected to resume on Saturday. British Airways received clearance to operate eight long-haul departures from 19:00 on Friday, including its daily service to Sydney. The confirmed flights are:<\/p>\n
- \n
- BA055 \u2013 Johannesburg<\/li>\n
- BA057 \u2013 Johannesburg<\/li>\n
- BA011 \u2013 Singapore<\/li>\n
- BA259 \u2013 Riyadh<\/li>\n
- BA045 \u2013 Cape Town<\/li>\n
- BA059 \u2013 Cape Town<\/li>\n
- BA015 \u2013 Sydney (via Singapore)<\/li>\n
- BA249 \u2013 Buenos Aires (via Rio de Janeiro)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
In a statement Friday afternoon, Heathrow said it was \u201csafely able to restart flights\u201d but warned that disruption is expected to continue for several days. Many aircraft scheduled to operate from Heathrow are currently scattered across the UK, Europe, and beyond, complicating efforts to restore normal service.<\/p>\n
![\"a](\"https:\/\/samchui.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/British-Airways-Flights-800x500.jpg\")
British Airways flight departures on Friday night. Image: RadarBox <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n ![\"a](\"https:\/\/samchui.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Heathrow-Flights-800x449.jpg\")
Flights from six continents bound for Heathrow. Image: FlightRadar24<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Full Article<\/h2>\n
London Heathrow Airport has been closed until midnight on Friday after a devastating fire at a nearby electrical substation triggered a massive power outage. The blaze knocked out both the main and backup power systems, plunging the airport into darkness and chaos.<\/p>\n
The fire broke out just after 11 p.m. (2300 GMT) on Thursday in Hayes, West London, and quickly escalated, sending towering flames and thick black smoke into the night sky. Engineers and emergency crews are working to restore power.<\/p>\n
Around 70 firefighters responded to the scene and had the fire under control by early Friday morning. The cause of the fire remains unknown, though Energy Minister Ed Miliband ruled out foul play, calling the incident \u201ccatastrophic.\u201d<\/p>\n
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![\"a](\"https:\/\/samchui.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Heathrow-Flight-Diversion-800x434.jpg\")
Heathrow Flight Diversions. Image via FlightRadar24<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n ![\"a](\"https:\/\/samchui.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Heathrow-Diversions-2-800x450.jpg\")
Heathrow Flight Diversions. Image via RadarBox<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n 1,351 Scheduled Flights on Friday<\/h2>\n
Heathrow Airport announced that operations would remain suspended until at least midnight Friday, with no timeline for power restoration. The outage affects 1,351 scheduled flights and an estimated 291,000 passengers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u201cDue to a power outage in the London Heathrow area, London Heathrow Airport is currently closed. As a result, customers due to travel from Heathrow on Friday are advised not to travel to the airport until further notice,\u201d stated an airport spokesperson.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
![\"a](\"https:\/\/samchui.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Heathrow-Airport-Closure-666x800.png\")
<\/figure>\n![\"a](\"https:\/\/samchui.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Heathrow-Airport-Disruption-800x543.jpg\")
![\"a](\"https:\/\/samchui.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Heathrow-Airport-Diversion-800x484.jpg\")