A massive fire broke out at the North Hyde electrical substation in Hayes, West London, on Thursday night March 20, 2025, leading to widespread power outages at Heathrow Airport. As a result, the airport was forced to shut down on March 21, 2025, causing the cancellation and diversion of over 1,300 flights, which affected nearly 290,000 passengers worldwide.

Firefighters swiftly responded to the scene, with ten fire engines and seventy firefighters working to contain the blaze. The fire caused severe damage, including destroying a critical backup power generator, further complicating efforts to restore the airport’s operations.

UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband called the incident “catastrophic” and “unprecedented.” While authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire, counter-terrorism officers are involved in the inquiry, though there is no suspicion of foul play.

As of March 21, Heathrow remains closed, and disruptions are expected to continue for several more days. Passengers are advised to refrain from traveling to the airport and should contact their airlines for updated information on flight schedules. If Heathrow airport remains closed for several days this means more than 1 million passengers will be affected as Heathrow processes around 1,300 flights a day. Goods delivery will also be affected.

Is affecting worldwide globally.

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