Air India Cancels All Heathrow Flights After Huge Fire Incident Shuts UK's Busiest Airport

A massive fire at an electrical substation near Heathrow Airport in London has led to a complete shutdown of the UK's busiest airport. It has caused widespread disruption to flights and stranding thousands of passengers. The closure, which began early on Friday, Mar. 21, will remain in effect until 23:59 London time, according to Heathrow officials.

The fire incident in west London has left thousands of homes without power and forced the evacuation of around 150 residents. Emergency services, including 10 fire engines and 70 firefighters, were deployed to tackle the blaze. The cause of the fire remains unknown.

In a travel advisory, the airline stated, "Our operations to and from London Heathrow (LHR) have been disrupted following the temporary suspension of operations at the airport until 23h59 London time on 21 March, after a significant power outage."

• AI129 from Mumbai to London has been forced to return to Mumbai.

• AI161 from Delhi to London has been diverted to Frankfurt.

• All remaining Air India flights scheduled for Mar. 21 have been cancelled.

• Flights to London Gatwick remain unaffected.

Updates on the resumption of operations would be provided to passengers as soon as more information becomes available, the airline added.

According to Flightradar24, at least 1,351 flights to and from Heathrow have been affected by the closure, as reported by BBC. Other major international carriers, including Qantas Airways and United Airlines, have also been forced to reroute their aircraft to alternative European airports such as Paris and Shannon, according to various media reports.

Heathrow authorities have urged passengers not to travel to the airport under any circumstances until operations resume. Travellers are advised to check with their respective airlines for alternative arrangements.

Heathrow Airport recorded its highest-ever passenger traffic for January 2025, handling over 63 lakh travellers — a 5% increase from the same period last year, according to a report in Time. This marked the 11th consecutive month of averaging over 2 lakh passengers per day, with transatlantic travel being a key driver of growth.