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By Shane Croucher
Senior Editor
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Heathrow Airport has said it is restarting a limited number of flights after hours of disruption caused by a large electrical substation fire nearby that cut its power.
"Our teams have worked tirelessly since the incident to ensure a speedy recovery. We're pleased to say we're now safely able to begin some flights later today," a Heathrow spokesperson told Newsweek in a statement.
"Our first flights will be repatriation flights and relocating aircraft. Please do not travel to the airport unless your airline has advised you to do so. We will now work with the airlines on repatriating the passengers who were diverted to other airports in Europe.
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"We hope to run a full operation tomorrow and will provide further information shortly. Our priority remains the safety of our passengers and those working at the airport.
"As the busiest airport in Europe, Heathrow uses as much energy as a small city, therefore getting back to a full and safe operation takes time. We apologise for the inconvenience caused by this incident."
Counterterrorism Police Called In
Counterterrorism police are leading the investigation into the cause of the fire.
They are examining the possibility of sabotage, The Times of London reported. These police have expertise that will help to draw a swift conclusion.
A spokesperson for London's Metropolitan Police told Newsweek in a statement it was working with the London Fire Brigade to establish the cause and "while there is currently no indication of foul play we retain an open mind at this time."
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"Given the location of the substation and the impact this incident has had on critical national infrastructure, the Met's Counter Terrorism Command is now leading inquiries," the statement said.
"This is due to the specialist resources and capabilities within that command that can assist in progressing this investigation at pace to minimize disruption and identify the cause."
It was too early to determine what sparked the huge blaze about two miles from the airport, but there's "no suggestion" of foul play, U.K. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband had said earlier.
Why it Matters
There are fears of active Russian sabotage operations in the U.K. and elsewhere in Europe amid Moscow's war in Ukraine. Russian agents have been linked to multiple incidents in recent years, including a warehouse fire in London.
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Heathrow, one of the world's busiest airports, transported 83.9 million passengers in 2024 alone. It is a vital component of the British economy and travelers from all over the world—and global logistics companies—rely on its services every day.
What to Know
At least 1,350 flights to and from Heathrow were affected, flight tracking service FlightRadar 24 said, and the impact was likely to last several days as passengers try to reschedule their travel and airlines work to get planes and crew to the right places.
Residents in west London described hearing a large explosion, followed by a fireball and clouds of smoke, when the blaze ripped through the electrical substation near the airport.
Some 120 flights were in the air when the closure was announced, with some turned around and others diverted to Gatwick Airport outside London, Charles de Gaulle Airport near Paris or Ireland's Shannon Airport, tracking services showed.
Miliband said the fire, which took seven hours to control, also knocked out a backup power supply to the airport.
Heathrow said in a statement that it had no choice but to close the airport.
"We expect significant disruption over the coming days, and passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens," the airport said.
The London Fire Brigade sent 10 engines and around 70 firefighters to control the blaze and about 150 people were evacuated from their homes near the power station.
What People Are Saying
"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," London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne said.
Flights normally begin landing and taking off at Heathrow at 6 a.m. due to nighttime flying restrictions. But the skies were silent Friday morning.
"Living near Heathrow is noisy, there are planes every 90 seconds or so, plus the constant hum of traffic, but you get used to it, to the point of no longer noticing," said James Henderson, who has lived next to the airport for more than 20 years. "Today is different, you can hear the birds singing."
What's Next
Heathrow is expecting to fully reopen on Saturday. The financial cost of the fire—described as unprecedented for Heathrow—is likely to be huge.
Investigators will work to determine the cause of the fire rapidly.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
Updated, 3/21/25, 12:23 p.m. ET: An updated statement from Heathrow Airport was added.
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