Heathrow Airport has closed due a power outage caused by a fire at a nearby substation, APA reports citing BBC.
At least 120 flights currently in the air bound for Heathrow have been diverted.
What's next?
Fire crews are responding to the incident but there is no clarity on when power may be reliably restored.
The United Kingdom's biggest airport is experiencing significant power outages due to a fire at a nearby electrical substation, and will be closed until midnight on March 21, local time.
Flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 has confirmed at least 120 flights currently in the air bound for Heathrow Airport will need to divert due to the closure.
In an advisory on its website, the airport said it had closed "to maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues".
"Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport and should contact their airline for further information. We apologise for the inconvenience," the statement said.
The United Kingdom's Heathrow Airport has been shut due to a major power outage caused by a fire at a nearby substation. (AP: Matt Dunham)
Fire crews are responding to the incident but there is no clarity on when power may be reliably restored, a Heathrow spokesperson told Reuters in an email.
The spokesperson also said that they expected significant disruption over the coming days.
The London Fire Brigade said its crews were tackling the fire in Hayes in west London and had evacuated about 150 people as a precaution.
In a post on X, the brigade said 10 fire trucks and about 70 firefighters had been called to the blaze.
"The fire at an electrical substation in Hayes is producing a significant amount of smoke," the post said.
Authorities warned residents to keep windows and doors closed and avoid the area where possible.
"This will be a prolonged incident, with crews remaining on scene throughout the night," the post said.
Eurocontrol, which manages air traffic control operations across Europe, said on its operations website that no arrivals were being allowed at Heathrow due to the power outage and there were diversion plans in place for flights.
FlightRadar24 said some diversions to other airports were already occurring, with Qantas Airways sending its flight from Perth to Paris and a United Airlines New York flight heading to Shannon, Ireland.
A United Airlines flight from San Francisco was due to land in Washington, DC, rather than London.
Heathrow is the world's second-busiest international airport in 2024 behind Dubai, according to travel data firm OAG.
Follow us on Telegram
t.me/apanewsaz
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on TikTok
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on X
UPDATED'>
