Heathrow, the largest airport in Europe in terms of passenger traffic, will be closed today due to a power outage after a fire in an electrical substation.

"Heathrow is suffering a significant power failure. To ensure the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23:59 [same time in Lisbon] on 21 March," said the airport operator.

At least 1,350 flights to and from Heathrow have already been affected, including several flights from cities in the United States that have been canceled, reported the flight tracking service FlightRadar 24.

Some flights that were already in the air were diverted to Gatwick Airport in London, Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, and Shannon Airport, Ireland.

In a statement released on social networks, Heathrow Airport Holdings recommended that passengers not travel to the airport and advised them to contact the airline for more information.

"We expect significant interruptions in the coming days," admitted the operator.

The company said it will update operations when it has more information about the resumption of energy supply.

The British railway company National Rail canceled all trains to and from the airport.

The London Fire Department reported that a transformer inside a power substation in Hayes, west London, is on fire, and mobilised a dozen teams and about 70 firefighters "who are currently fighting the fire".

Deputy Commissioner Pat Goulbourne explained that the fire "caused a power outage that affected a large number of local homes and businesses" and that they are "working closely with partners to minimize the inconveniences".
According to the local press, the police removed 29 people from houses located near the substation and, as a precautionary measure, established a safety perimeter of 200 meters, resulting in the removal of another 150 people.

Due to the amount of smoke, residents were advised to keep the windows and doors closed.

"This is a highly visible and significant incident, and our firefighters are working tirelessly in challenging conditions to control the fire as soon as possible," Goulbourne said, before pointing out that the cause of the fire is still unknown.

The electric company Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said on social network X that the power failure affected more than 16,300 homes.