iol Firefighters douses flames of a fire that broke out at a substation supplying power to Heathrow Airport in Hayes, west London on March 21, 2025. Britain's Heathrow airport, Europe's busiest, was shut down early on March 21 for 24 hours after a major fire at an electricity substation cut power to the sprawling facility west of London, officials said. (Photo by BENJAMIN CREMEL / AFP)
Image: Picture: AFP
A fire at an electricity substation which forced the closure of Heathrow Airport is "under control", the London fire brigade said on Friday.
"This was a very visible and significant incident, and our firefighters worked tirelessly in challenging conditions to bring the fire under control as swiftly as possible," said London Fire Brigade's assistant commissioner Pat Goulbourne.
"Thanks to their efforts and coordinated multi-agency response, we successfully contained the fire and prevented further spread."
The airport which is Europe's busiest, shut down early Friday after a major fire at an electricity substation cut power to the sprawling hub, disrupting hundreds of flights and thousands of travelers.
Airport authorities said they "expect significant disruption" over the coming days, while online flight tracking service FlightRadar24 said at least 1,351 flights to and from the airport would be affected
"Passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens."
The UK's second busiest airport Gatwick said it would accept some flights from Heathrow.
AFP
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