Fire at Heathrow: Power Outage Shuts Down the Airport and Disrupts Global Air Traffic

London Heathrow Airport, the busiest in Europe, was forced to close on Friday, March 21, due to a fire at an electrical substation in Hayes, west of London. The incident caused a massive power outage, disrupting airport operations and affecting nearly 100,000 households. Given the scale of the disruption, British counter-terrorism police have launched an investigation, though no evidence currently suggests an intentional act.

An Unprecedented Power Failure

The fire, reported shortly before 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, mobilized nearly 70 firefighters and 10 fire trucks. While the blaze was brought under control by early morning, the damage to Heathrow’s electrical infrastructure was severe. The backup generator, designed to take over in case of a power failure, was also affected, further exacerbating the crisis.

UK Energy Minister Ed Miliband acknowledged the unprecedented nature of the situation and announced that investigations would be conducted to determine how a major hub like Heathrow could be left without an effective contingency plan. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) also voiced concerns, highlighting weaknesses in the airport’s power supply resilience.

Ripple Effects on Global Air Traffic

Heathrow’s closure has triggered widespread disruptions to air travel worldwide. The airport typically handles 1,350 flights and 230,000 passengers daily, serving 80 countries. The suspension of operations has led to the cancellation and rerouting of hundreds of flights.

• In London, Gatwick Airport has begun accepting diverted flights.
• Across Europe, Frankfurt has received multiple flights, while in Spain, over 50 routes—mainly to and from Madrid and Barcelona—have been affected.
• Internationally, flights from Qantas, United Airlines, and other carriers have been rerouted to Paris, Dublin, and Amsterdam.

Eurocontrol at the Heart of Crisis Management

Amid this critical situation, Eurocontrol, the European organization responsible for air traffic coordination, has played a key role in rerouting flights. With 42 member states, the agency facilitates communication between national control centers to manage diverted flights efficiently.

Eurocontrol’s controllers are in constant contact with European airports to determine available landing slots for affected planes. This coordination is crucial in ensuring that flights are safely redirected before running low on fuel.

Uncertain Timeline for Normal Operations

While Heathrow hopes to gradually reopen its runways in the coming hours, airport authorities anticipate several days of disruption. Experts suggest that full operational recovery could take at least a weekend, if not longer.

Airlines are scrambling to minimize passenger inconvenience by introducing emergency flights and deploying larger aircraft on key routes. Ryanair has announced additional flights between London and Dublin, while EasyJet is adjusting aircraft sizes on select routes.

This incident raises significant concerns about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure and the need to enhance the resilience of airport power systems. In the meantime, thousands of passengers remain stranded, and global air travel continues to experience major disruptions.