Thousands of travelers have been left stranded after a massive fire at an electricity substation knocked out power at Heathrow Airport, forcing a 24-hour shutdown of Europe’s busiest airport.
The incident, which began early Friday, led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights, leaving passengers stuck in London and beyond. Airport officials have warned of “significant disruption” in the coming days.
“Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage,” the airport operator confirmed, stating that the shutdown would last until just before midnight Friday (2359 GMT).
Heathrow, which handles over 80 million passengers annually and facilitates around 1,300 flights daily, was thrown into chaos, with travelers scrambling to rebook flights or find alternative routes home.
According to Reuters, among those affected was 36-year-old Tyler Prieb from the United States, who was in London for work and visiting friends. Stranded at Paddington Station, he was struggling to find a way back home to Nashville, Tennessee.
“I’m sure everybody is going to need a new flight somewhere, somehow,” he said. “Hopefully, it will just take me an extra day to get back to my wife and daughter.”
John Moriarty, a 75-year-old Boston resident, was also caught up in the travel chaos while waiting for his daughter, who had flown in from New York to visit him. Stuck on the phone, he was desperately trying to rebook his flight.
“All the lines are busy, so I might be here another day,” he said. “Not the worst thing in the world. London is my favorite city, but I need to be home.”
For some, the delay was more than just an inconvenience—it was emotionally draining. New York-based professor Robyn Autry, 39, was struggling with the uncertainty of when she could get home.
“I’m pretty stressed out,” she admitted. “I have animals back home that I need to get to.”
Autry was considering flights from alternative airports like Bristol or Manchester, though the options were “very, very expensive.”
Engaged couple Anna Schiferl, 26, and Charlie Katt, 27, from Chicago, took the ordeal in stride, despite what they called their history of bad travel luck.
“We are with each other, so that’s good. We have enough clothes, enough underwear. We’re going to be fine,” Schiferl said.
Authorities have ruled out foul play, but counterterrorism detectives are leading the investigation due to the incident’s impact on critical infrastructure.
The UK government has launched an inquiry into how a single fire could cripple Heathrow.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson stressed the importance of preventing such disruptions in the future.
Tom Wells, a government spokesperson, said, “The priority right now is to extinguish the fire. It’s premature to speculate on the cause, but the investigation is ongoing.”
In response to the crisis, budget airline Ryanair, which does not operate at Heathrow, has introduced eight “rescue flights” between Dublin and Stansted Airport to assist stranded travelers.
Four flights departed on Friday afternoon, with four more scheduled for Saturday morning.
With Heathrow’s operations severely affected, passengers have been advised to check with their airlines for updates as efforts to restore normalcy continue.
