Air India has announced a temporary halt to its flights from London’s Heathrow Airport due to a significant power outage caused by a fire at an electrical substation. The airport will remain closed until midnight on March 21.
In a statement, Air India stated that all operations to and from Heathrow have been disrupted. The airline’s flight AI129 from Mumbai is returning to Mumbai, while flight AI161 from Delhi has been rerouted to Frankfurt. Additionally, all other flights scheduled for March 21 to and from Heathrow, including the morning flight AI111, have been canceled. They noted that flights to London Gatwick are still operating normally.
Heathrow Airport confirmed the closure to ensure the safety of passengers and staff, advising travelers to avoid coming to the airport during this time.
The fire led to the evacuation of around 150 people from nearby buildings, with dramatic images showing flames and smoke rising into the sky. The outage also affected the power supply in the surrounding areas and caused disruptions in flight schedules worldwide, as Heathrow is one of the busiest airports globally. Flight tracking service FlightRadar24 reported that at least 120 incoming flights had to be redirected to different airports. Ian Petchenik of FlightRadar24 noted that issues at Heathrow would impact airline operations across the globe.
The London Fire Brigade dispatched approximately 70 firefighters to combat the blaze, although the cause of the fire remains unknown.
