Heathrow Airport Shuts Down Until Midnight After Power Outage; Air India Flights Cancelled

Power Disruption Triggers Temporary Closure
London, March 21 — Heathrow Airport has suspended all flights. Operations are halted until 11:59 PM on March 21. A major power outage caused this suspension. The outage resulted from a fire at a nearby electrical substation. The airport shared this announcement on X (formerly Twitter), asking travelers to avoid coming to the airport until further notice.

A fire in West London has caused power instability.
The London Fire Brigade reported that firefighters were controlling the blaze in Hayes, West London. Approximately 150 people were evacuated for safety reasons. Despite containment efforts, the power supply to Heathrow continues to remain unstable.

Uncertainty Over Restoration Timeline
In an email to Reuters, a Heathrow representative mentioned that the situation is still unfolding. There is no clear estimate for when the power supply will be fully restored. The spokesperson also cautioned that significant delays and cancellations are likely to continue over the next few days.

Air India Flights Severely Disrupted
The outage has led to major disruptions in flight schedules. Air India has issued an advisory confirming cancellations and diversions of its flights connected to Heathrow on March 21:

• Flight AI129 from Mumbai to Heathrow has returned to Mumbai.
• Flight AI161 from Delhi to Heathrow has been diverted to Frankfurt.
• All other Air India flights to Heathrow, including AI111, have been cancelled.
• Flights operating to London Gatwick are continuing as planned.

Travel Advisory for Passengers
Passengers scheduled to travel through Heathrow are advised to contact their airlines for the latest updates. They should avoid traveling to the airport until operations are restored.

Impact Likely to Continue
This disruption is expected to create cascading delays and cancellations. These issues may persist even after operations resume, as airlines manage stranded travelers. They will also need to reschedule pending flights.