Power failure at London Heathrow, airport closed all day

There will be no flights at London’s Heathrow Airport today after a fire broke out at a nearby substation, causing a major power failure at the airport.
This is causing major disruption to more than 1,000 flights. Heathrow is the busiest airport in Western Europe, which has also led to the cancellation of many flights from Schiphol.

At the time of writing, 15 flights between Schiphol and London Heathrow have been cancelled, a spokesman for the Dutch airport said, adding that the number could rise.

For security reasons, Heathrow is urging people to stay away from the airport, which will remain closed until midnight. The 120 flights to Heathrow will be diverted to other airports such as Gatwick or Paris, according to Flightradar.

Global logistics nightmare

The fire is a disaster for air travel, with passengers landing at different destinations than planned. If you land in Paris or Amsterdam, it is difficult to get your passengers and crew to London. Several airlines will face this problem today, says Neil Hansford, head of consultancy Strategic Aviation Solutions.

As well as crew and passenger positioning, fuel will also be an issue as airlines plan to refuel at Heathrow where there is a large supply, unlike the airports where they landed.

If Heathrow reopens on Saturday, it will affect global flight schedules for days to come.

Will your flight be cancelled?

As this fire is beyond the airlines’ control, it is considered an extraordinary circumstance. This means that passengers are not entitled to financial compensation in the event of a cancellation or delay.
However, the airline is obliged to offer passengers an alternative flight or a refund. In addition, passengers are entitled to care, such as food, drink and, if necessary, hotel accommodation.

We recommend that you keep a close eye on your flight schedule and contact the airline to rebook your flight.