Flights start landing at Heathrow Airport after shutdown leads to travel chaos | CNN

Several flights take off from Heathrow Airport after shutdown leads to travel chaos

Rhea Mogul

Chris Lau

Lauren Kent

By Rhea Mogul, Todd Symons, Chris Lau, Alex Stambaugh, Lauren Kent, Olivia Kemp, Rob Picheta, Caitlin Danaher and Billy Stockwell, CNN

Updated 6:14 PM EDT, Fri March 21, 2025

<p>Stranded traveler AyJay Mulholland, whose trip to London was canceled due to Heathrow travel chaos, joins Max Foster to share her experience.</p><p><br /></p>

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"None of us could believe it," says traveler stuck in Florida amid Heathrow Airport disruption

3:11 • Source: CNN

<p>Stranded traveler AyJay Mulholland, whose trip to London was canceled due to Heathrow travel chaos, joins Max Foster to share her experience.</p><p><br /></p>

"None of us could believe it," says traveler stuck in Florida amid Heathrow Airport disruption

3:11

What we covered here

• Flights depart from Heathrow: Several flights have now taken off from London’s Heathrow Airport after it was completely shut down following a power outage due to a nearby fire. It has led to massive disruption at one of the world’s busiest travel hubs, but Heathrow’s CEO said he expects the airport to be fully running by tomorrow morning.

• Global travel impacted: Heathrow’s closure is expected to reverberate around the globe, affecting more than 1,300 flights in the coming days. An airline analytics firm estimated that “upwards of 145,000” passengers could be impacted, while an aviation expert told CNN the airline industry could lose hundreds of billions of dollars.

• Cause under investigation: The fire at an electrical substation near Heathrow that caused the power outage is not believed to be suspicious, “although enquiries do remain ongoing,” the Metropolitan Police said.

74 Posts

Our live coverage of the Heathrow shutdown has ended for the day. Scroll through the posts below or read more here.

Flights take off from London’s Heathrow Airport, tracking website shows

From CNN's Billy Stockwell and Caitlin Danaher in London

Several flights have taken off from London’s Heathrow Airport, after a day of disruption grounded hundreds of planes, according to tracking website FlightRadar24.

Among the flights that have left the airport are British Airways flights to Cape Town and Riyadh.

Earlier, British Airways said that it had been given clearance by the airport to depart eight long-haul flights from 7 p.m. local time.

Meanwhile, Air Canada said it is to resume all scheduled flights to the airport “this evening as (the) airport reopens.”

United Airlines said that it had 17 scheduled Friday departures to London Heathrow. “At this time, we expect to operate most scheduled Friday departures to London,” a spokesperson for the American carrier told CNN.

Can passengers affected by today's Heathrow outage get a refund?

From CNN's Mitchell McCluskey

People walk toward an entrance to the London Underground station at Heathrow Airport on Friday.

People walk toward an entrance to the London Underground station at Heathrow Airport on Friday.

Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has advised that passengers affected by the outage should expect to be offered the choice of a refund or alternative flight from their airline.

For flights on UK or EU carriers, which are covered by UK passenger rights legislation, passengers should be offered meals, refreshments and hotel accommodation amid the delay, the CAA said. The agency encourages passengers on other carriers to reach out to their airline.

The CAA said it expects airlines to “promptly reimburse” passengers if they are unable to proactively offer care.

However, passengers may not be able to receive additional compensation as the CAA advises that the incident is likely to be considered an “extraordinary circumstance.”

London Fire Brigade says approximately 5% of fire remains burning near Heathrow airport

From CNN's Caitlin Danaher

The London Fire Brigade said approximately 5% of the fire near Heathrow Airport is still burning, 16 hours after the fire brigade received the first call alerting them to the incident.

The fire brigade received 212 calls about the fire at the electricity substation, with 10 fire engines, two bulk foam units and one high volume pump on the scene at the peak of the incident, equating to 70 fire brigade personnel, the statement detailed.

Fire safety officers have been following up at the scene, with their work set to continue in the coming weeks.

Both the Metropolitan Police and the London Fire Brigade have said the cause of the fire is not being treated as suspicious.

Separate backup power supply for Heathrow could cost $65 million, expert says

From CNN's Billy Stockwell in London

A separate backup power supply for the whole of London’s Heathrow Airport could cost nearly $65 million (around 50 million pounds), according to an energy networks expert.

“Some people say that Heathrow should have had backup generation for the whole airport, which has merit,” Simon Gallagher, the managing director at UK Network Services, told CNN on Friday.

“Data centers do actually have full backup generation in case this happens. So, if you compare Heathrow to a data center, a data center would not have gone off,” Gallagher said.

The expert added that the airport’s “safety critical systems” were operational throughout the disruption on Friday, even if “the rest of the airport was dead.”

Earlier, Heathrow’s chief executive Thomas Woldbye said that the travel hub has three electricity substations — each with a “backup transformer” — but added that it takes time to divert from one to another if power fails.

"Everybody started scrambling": American family stuck in Zurich for 2 extra days after flights canceled

From CNN’s Sarah Dewberry

Bethany Dixon and her five family members were supposed to fly out of Zurich, Switzerland, on an early morning flight that would’ve stopped at Heathrow before they headed home to Texas.

Dixon told CNN they have been in Zurich on a family vacation and were ready to get home.

She said they arrived at the airport around 4:30 a.m. local time and were walking through customs when agents stopped them to inform them that their flights were no longer confirmed.

She said that their flight was the first British Airways one on the departures/arrivals board to be canceled. Afterward, when other flights were also canceled, “everybody started scrambling.”

After they found their luggage, they attempted to call British Airways but were unable to reach anyone.

“Because their system was so overwhelmed, everything was automated,” Dixon explained. “We were told, ‘Sorry, we can’t do anything for you,’ and they just canceled all of our flights. That was it. They didn’t offer any assistance, such as accommodations at a hotel; it was just, ‘Sorry, your flight is canceled.’”

Fortunately, Dixon said they were able to get rebooked on an American Airlines flight but they won’t be leaving Zurich until Sunday.

The extra two days have ended up costing Dixon more than what was planned now that she’s had to book an extra night at her previous hotel.

From UK to France to Germany: Mom pieces together route to get her and daughter back to US

From CNN’s Sarah Dewberry

Denise Latini and her 9-year-old daughter were on what she described as “a dream mother-daughter trip,” but their journey took an unexpected turn when their flight home to South Carolina from London’s Heathrow Airport was canceled.

Latini told CNN that they were scheduled to depart from Heathrow at 10 a.m. local time, but she discovered at 6:30 a.m. — just as she was zipping up their final suitcase to leave — that their flight had been canceled.

Fortunately, Latini noted that they received the cancellation alert before heading to the train station.

Rebooking her flights was a bit tricky since everything was sold out, so she had to get creative.

Once they get to Strasbourg, she’ll drive the two hours to where her twin sister lives in Stuttgart, Germany, to stay for the night.

On Saturday morning, they plan to drive to Munich to catch a flight back to the US by 9:30 a.m., but they will arrive in Atlanta instead of Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, where her husband will pick them up.

Fire that led to Heathrow Airport shutdown believed to be "non-suspicious," London authorities say

From CNN's Caitlin Danaher

An aerial photograph taken on Friday shows smoke billowing from a substation supplying power to Heathrow Airport amid efforts to douse the remainder of the flames after a fire broke out in Hayes, west London.

An aerial photograph taken on Friday shows smoke billowing from a substation supplying power to Heathrow Airport amid efforts to douse the remainder of the flames after a fire broke out in Hayes, west London.

Stringer/AFP/Getty Images

The fire at an electrical substation that caused a power outage and brought chaos to London’s Heathrow Airport is believed to be “non-suspicious,” according to London Fire Brigade.

The investigation will now focus on the electrical distribution equipment, the fire brigade added.

London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed that while the investigation is still in its early stages, “there remains no indication of any foul play.”

“After initial assessment, we are not treating this incident as suspicious, although enquiries do remain ongoing,” Commander Simon Messinger, who is leading the Met Police response, said in a separate statement Friday.

UK government lifts restrictions on night flights "to ease congestion"

From CNN's Billy Stockwell

A British Airways A380 aircraft arrives at Heathrow Terminal 5 after being repositioned from London Gatwick, on Friday.

A British Airways A380 aircraft arrives at Heathrow Terminal 5 after being repositioned from London Gatwick, on Friday.

Peter Nicholls/Getty Images

The British government has temporarily lifted restrictions on overnight flights “to ease congestion,” the country’s Department for Transport said Friday.

According to Heathrow Airport’s website, the government has placed restrictions on night flights since the 1960s, but there is no formal ban on them.

The government usually sets a limit of 5,800 nighttime take-offs and landings per year, according to the airport.

The department said on X Friday that Heathrow passengers would also be allowed to use rail tickets flexibly.

What to do if your flight gets canceled

Are you one of the passengers whose flight was canceled today after London’s Heathrow Airport was closed?

Here’s how to handle it, according to CNN’s Barry Neild:

Your flight was canceled. Here’s your next move.

1:38 • Source: CNN

Your flight was canceled. Here’s your next move.

1:38

Airport chief says Heathrow’s backup systems "worked the way they should"

From CNN's Billy Stockwell

Heathrow Airport CEO Thomas Woldbye issues a statement on Friday, following the disruption at the airport throughout the day following a fire at a electric substation nearby.

Heathrow Airport CEO Thomas Woldbye issues a statement on Friday, following the disruption at the airport throughout the day following a fire at a electric substation nearby.

Press Association/AP

Heathrow Airport chief executive Thomas Woldbye said Friday that the airport’s backup systems “worked the way they should,” as he sought to defend the actions of one of the world’s busiest airports.

In an interview, Woldbye said that London’s Heathrow Airport has three electricity substations, each with a “backup transformer.”

But, the airport chief said, to divert to another substation following a failure in supply, the airport has to “restructure our power supply,” adding that this takes time.

Despite the electricity blackout, Woldbye said that the airport’s backup systems “worked the way they should,” adding “this just takes time when we have an incident of this major severity.”

Woldbye said that with “contingencies of certain sizes, we cannot guard ourselves against 100% and this is one of them.”

“This has been a major incident. I mean, short of anybody getting hurt, this is as big as it gets,” he said. He added that the closure of the airport was not taken lightly and was only done due to severe safety concerns.

Heathrow chief expects airport to be back in full operation by tomorrow morning

From CNN’s Caitlin Danaher

The head of Heathrow Airport said he anticipates the airport will be fully running by tomorrow morning, after a power outage due to a fire nearby caused the closure of Europe’s busiest airport.

“Tomorrow morning, we expect to be back in full operation, so 100% operation as a normal day,” Thomas Woldbye, Heathrow’s chief executive, said Friday.

Asked about whether passengers due to fly tomorrow should adjust their travel plans, the CEO said they should continue as normal.

“There’s no reason to come earlier. They should be coming to the airport as they were planning to do otherwise,” Woldbye said.

A British Airways jet just landed at Heathrow — from Gatwick, only 25 miles away

From CNN's Vasco Cotovio and Caitlin Danaher

A British Airway jet landed at Heathrow, the first to land after a fire caused one of the world’s busiest airports to grind to a complete standstill.

A CNN team on the ground witnessed the jet landing on Friday evening after a quick trip from Gatwick Airport, located a mere 25 miles (about 40 kilometers) away.

The Airbus A380-800 jet — the world’s largest commercial passenger aircraft — had a brisk 17-minute journey, data from flight-tracking site FlightAware showed.

Earlier, British Airways said that it had been given clearance by Heathrow Airport to depart eight long-haul flights starting at 7 p.m. local time (3 p.m. ET) after the airport said it was resuming some flights. Destinations include Johannesburg, Singapore, Riyadh, Cape Town, Sydney and Buenos Aires.

The airport’s chief said Heathrow will be prioritizing incoming flights that have been stranded in Europe, before a few flights take off in the evening.

Woman traveling with service dog stuck in New York after London flight canceled

From CNN’s Sarah Dewberry

Elizabeth Blake-Thomas told CNN that she and her daughter flew from Los Angeles to New York on Wednesday evening and were supposed to board their Delta flight to London the following night.

For over 10 hours, she said they waited with other passengers, and by 12:30 a.m., they were informed that their flight had been canceled.

“By 2 a.m., the line was still not moving,” Blake-Thomas said. “There were probably 300 of us in the Delta line trying to find out if we could rebook or get a place to stay.”

She noted that her service animal became a source of comfort for others dealing with the chaos.

Blake-Thomas mentioned that they were able to get rebooked onto another flight for Saturday, but because of her service animal, she hopes they can still fly together.

Uptick in activity observed at Heathrow

From CNN's Vasco Cotovio

A CNN team on the ground right outside Heathrow Airport reported hearing plane engines roaring as the travel hub prepares to resume some flights.

There’s been an uptick in activity, with safety cars driving around flashing yellow lights. Hangers in CNN’s line of sight have their lights on, and some flood lights have been turned on as well.

CNN also saw a small propeller plane flying above the airport — a rare sight on any day with normal operations.

Heathrow chief says airport closure was an incident of "major severity" and apologizes for disruption

From CNN’s Caitlin Danaher

Firefighters extinguish a fire at the North Hyde electrical substation in London on Friday.

Firefighters extinguish a fire at the North Hyde electrical substation in London on Friday.

Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

The head of Heathrow Airport described Friday’s closure of the airport as “an incident of major severity” as he apologized to passengers for the disruption.

“We will prioritize incoming flights that have been stranded in Europe so we can get as many passengers into the country as we possibly can. After that, a few flights will be taking off during the evening, and that is about it,” Woldbye added.

British Airways given go-ahead to depart 8 long-haul flights, airline says

From CNN’s Lauren Kent and Billy Stockwell

A British Airways plane is parked at Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport on Friday.

A British Airways plane is parked at Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport on Friday.

Kin Cheung/AP

British Airways said Friday that it has been given clearance by London’s Heathrow Airport to depart eight long-haul flights starting at 7 p.m. local time (3 p.m. ET) after the airport said it was resuming some flights.

“We are now urgently contacting customers to let them know so they can make their way to the airport from 5pm,” a British Airways spokesperson said in a statement.

The destinations of the flights include:

Johannesburg
Singapore
Riyadh
Cape Town
Sydney
Buenos Aires

The head of British Airways warned the “unprecedented” disruption will likely continue for many days to come.

Earlier on Friday, British Airways said it was reviewing impacts to its long-haul schedule. It added that it had canceled all short-haul flights to Heathrow Airport.

"Clear planning failure": Airline association slams Heathrow for "letting down both travelers and airlines"

From CNN's Olesya Dmitracova and Caitlin Danaher

International Air Transport Association (IATA) director general Willie Walsh looks on during the IATA Global Media Day in Geneva, on December 6, 2023.

International Air Transport Association (IATA) director general Willie Walsh looks on during the IATA Global Media Day in Geneva, on December 6, 2023.

Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

The head of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has slammed Heathrow Airport’s closure today as “yet another case of Heathrow letting down both travelers and airlines.”

The IATA represents some 340 airlines comprising over 80% of global air traffic.

“We must find a fairer allocation of passenger care costs than airlines alone picking up the tab when infrastructure fails. Until that happens, Heathrow has very little incentive to improve,” Walsh added.

Heathrow Airport to restart flights later today

From CNN's Lauren Kent and Robert North

Planes are parked on the tarmac of Heathrow Airport following its closure after a fire broke out at a substation supplying power of the airport, in Hayes, west London, today.

Planes are parked on the tarmac of Heathrow Airport following its closure after a fire broke out at a substation supplying power of the airport, in Hayes, west London, today.

STR/AFP/Getty Images

London’s Heathrow Airport says it will restart some flights later today, beginning with “repatriation flights” for passengers diverted to other airports across Europe after a major power outage sparked huge disruption.

“We’re pleased to say we’re now safely able to begin some flights later today. Our first flights will be repatriation flights and relocating aircraft,” a Heathrow spokesperson said in a statement.

“We hope to run a full operation tomorrow and will provide further information shortly,” the spokesperson said.

Earlier on Friday, a Heathrow spokesperson told CNN that even after power is restored, the airport would need to conduct safety checks. CNN understands that the airport has been undertaking tests in order to open safely as soon as possible.

British passenger describes shock as flight from Delhi to London turned around mid-flight

By CNN's Caitlin Danaher

Lucy Adler described her experience during a CNN interview today.

Lucy Adler described her experience during a CNN interview today.

CNN

A stranded passenger described her shock as her flight from Delhi to London was turned around mid-flight following news of the shutdown at Heathrow Airport.

Lucy Adler was returning home from a weeklong business trip in India when her plans were scrapped by the closure of Europe’s busiest airport.

“I’m a mom and I’ve got two young kids, so I was just desperate to kind of get home to them. My plan was supposed to be, ‘oh I’d be home in time to pick them up from school today,’ and obviously that didn’t work out,” Adler told CNN’s Zain Asher on Friday.

The fire — which is now under control — occurred in an electrical substation in the town of Hayes, just a few miles from the airport, which disrupted the local power supply

Adler was stuck on the tarmac for 90 minutes alongside her fellow passengers before they were allowed to disembark the plane. Adler’s airline, Virgin, provided her with a night’s accommodation in Delhi following the inconvenience, she detailed.

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