Travelers planning to fly, get out or connect through London’s normally bustling Heathrow Airport (LHR) on Friday, March 21st, were hoping for a rude awakening. The entire airport was closed for most of the day, resulting in “a major blackout” at the hub as airport officials described it as “a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport.”
Due to safety concerns, Heathrow has decided to close the entire airport. At the time of the press, Heathrow had begun to resume flights, according to notifications to travelers on its website.
“To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will carry out reduced prioritization operations for aircraft repatriation and relocation,” the airport said in its latest update.
Flight 1,334 scheduled to take off or arrive at Heathrow on Friday, representing nearly 300,000 air travelers, according to aerial analytics firm Cirium. The majority of these flights (51% of which are operated by British Airways) have been cancelled. Most of the flights were to and from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
There are an additional 1,219 flights scheduled to arrive or depart at Heathrow on Saturday.
On Thursday, March 20th, at 11:23pm, the London Firefighters reported receiving dozens of calls regarding the fire at a high-voltage substation near Heathrow.
“The fire included a transformer consisting of 25,000 liters (6,600 gallons) of cooling oil, which poses a major danger due to the fire nature of the still-living high-voltage equipment and oil-fuel,” the brigade reported.
Firefighters worked overnight to contain the fire. The fire initially left 67,000 households without electricity, along with two heath ramp terminals, terminal 2 and terminal 4.
What airlines offer travelers
With thousands of passengers facing cancelled flights, the airline is responding with a waiver of change fees. Delta Air Lines has issued fare and change fee waiver on all flights from or on Heathrow that occur prior to March 26th.
“Please check your flight status frequently for the latest information on flight plans,” Delta said in a statement.
“If a re-booked trip is made before March 26, 2025 in the same service cabin that was originally booked, the fare difference will be exempt,” Delta said, noting that the fare difference could apply if the fare class for a new booking is changed.
United Airlines has issued fare and alteration fee waiver due to the closure of Heathrow for flights purchased between Heathrow or Heathrow before March 20th.
“If your flight is affected, here’s your choice,” United said. “You can reschedule your trip and abandon the difference between change fees and fares. However, your new flight must be a unified flight between March 20, 2025 and March 28, 2025.
American Airlines has notified customers traveling via, through or from Heathrow that change fees will be waived for travel purchased by March 20, 2025, which was scheduled to take place on March 22, 2025 or March 22, 2025. Changes must be made by March 22, 2025.
What should I do if I’m flying with a reward ticket? Adam Morvitz, travel expert and CEO of Point.me, a point and reward search engine, told Afar after the suspension of cloud strikes last year, “You’re on the same boat as the cash ticket holder.” Morvitz said: “Airlines will automatically rebook, but calling customer service can provide better options. Airlines won’t cover extra costs like hotels and food, so plan accordingly.”
Airports and routes that were hit hardest
According to the Global Travel Industry Data Provider OAG, Heathrow is Europe’s busiest airport, with around 4.3 million passengers scheduled to arrive or depart from the hub in March 2025 alone.
The most affected route caused by Friday’s closure comes from JFK in New York, with 4,500 air travelers scheduled to fly or via Heathrow on Friday, followed by Dubai with 3,000 affected travelers.
Other hubs with tons of flights scheduled for Heathrow on Friday include Dublin, Frankfurt, Doha, Munich, Los Angeles, Madrid and Delhi.
How long will the question last?
Flight cancellations and confusion caused by Heathrow’s closure could last through the weekend.
“The vast amount of flights affected today means that the aircraft, crew and passengers are not where they are supposed to be. It’s only for cancellations and conversions in the last 12 hours.” “We’re shocked with London passengers and passengers through London, so we’re continuing to build on Friday, waiting for people from all other cities to go to or connect to it. It’ll take a few days for the airline to reset passengers and recover.
He added that confusion also varies from airline to airline. “Some large airlines may get a better idea of the frequency of flights they have and the amount of seats available. If you’re a passenger or were about to travel, I found that Friday’s confusion would affect your flights until at least Monday night.
What should travelers do?
First, travelers need to know their rights. “If your flight is cancelled late, we hope that the airline will minimize the overall impact on you by providing you with information and taking care of you. Airlines will have to choose a refund or find an alternative flight.
Your flight is covered by UK law as long as it is an international airline departing from the UK, Europe, or Heathrow, or a UK or EU airline arriving at Heathrow. The only flights that are not covered are non-EU or non-EU carriers arriving at Heathrow.
“If the airline is unable to actively provide care or provide appropriate exchange flights, we expect to promptly refund the costs of making their own arrangements.
The agency noted that airlines require travelers to return home and look after them by providing food and hotel accommodations while they wait.
Morvitz provides a list of useful tips for travelers on upcoming flights.
- Going ahead of the game: Points Pro advises travelers not to wait for updates from the airline. “Beware of your flight status. …If there are any issues, make changes as soon as possible.”
- Use airline travel exemptions: All major airlines currently offer fee waiver, including reward tickets. Go ahead and change your flight.
- Explore backup options. Have a backup to investigate another flight and be ready.
- Please double check your rebooked flight: If you change your flight, double check the status of your new flight before heading to the airport. Cascades of delays and cancellations could also affect new flights.
- Cost Management: Be prepared for additional hotel and meal costs that the airline may or may not cover. Check out credit card and travel insurance (if you have) insurance coverage and benefits.
