One of the largest airports in the world has come to a standstill.

London’s Heathrow Airport has been shut down for the entire day after a major electrical fire led to widespread power outages, throwing the travel industry into turmoil.

With hundreds of thousands of passengers impacted, experts caution that the disruption could drag on for days, affecting flights worldwide.

Explosion at an Electrical Substation

In the early hours of Friday, Heathrow’s official X account shared an urgent update:

“Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage. To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23h59 on 21 March. Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport and should contact their airline for further information. We apologise for the inconvenience.”

A spokesperson for Heathrow also told British media that flight delays and cancellations could continue for several days.

Although there is no fire at the airport itself, operations have been severely impacted. According to Sky News, the fire broke out in a transformer building in Hayes, about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from Heathrow. The explosion of the airport’s main electrical substation triggered the massive outage, forcing the airport to cease operations.

Around 200,000 passengers were expected to pass through Heathrow today, but the airport’s shutdown has caused significant disruptions that are likely to stretch into the weekend and beyond.