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London’s Heathrow Airport was closed today and was expected to be laid for at least the remainder of Friday after a fire at a nearby electrical substation caused a massive blackout at a major transport centre.
The fire had almost completely disappeared by midnight local time on Friday, but flights 1,300 and 200,000 passengers were affected by the closure.
“It is not clear when electricity will definitely recover,” the airport said in a statement early local time, adding that Heathrow’s doors will remain closed until at least the end of the day.
Six airports serve London, with Heathrow being the largest and the International Hub predicts that at least 84.2 million passengers will travel to the airport this year.
Airports have previously been said to be “most connected” in the world, with New York and Los Angeles being one of the top destinations for Heathrow passengers.
UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband told BBC News that the situation is “unprecedented” after the fire also affected the backup generators of the generators.
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The closure caused widespread confusion and confusion among travelers in London and around the world, making many posts on many social media after flights were cancelled and then temporarily left at airports around the world.
According to Flightradar24, the suspension was expected to arrive or depart at least flights 1,351 at Heathrow on Friday. The Flight Tracking website said it does not include flights that may be cancelled or delayed because the aircraft is “out of position.”
Meanwhile, Flightaware’s real-time flight trackers have indicated that at least 170 flights scheduled to depart from Heathrow will be cancelled early Friday morning, with flights 145 expected to land there. However, these numbers were expected to increase.
The airport also said it expects “significant disruption over the next few days” and will inform the public that passengers will become known to urge them not to go to the site until they reopen.
“This is a shame for passengers and we want to reassure them that they are working as hard as they can to resolve the situation,” the airport said.
One of those disappointing passengers was a Los Angeles-based comedian and the star of “Adam Ruins Everything.” Adam Conover was in London for a stand-up gig when his flight detoured into the air.
“We were in the air for 90 minutes about it and they just finished dinner service,” the 42-year-old comedian told NBC News in a phone interview Friday morning. “Then the captain came and said there was a fire… we had to turn around.”
After a short nap, the creator of Netflix’s “The G Word” said he was flying to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. There, you will face a four-hour labour, a flight to Manchester, and at least two hours of trains to the British capital.
Videos posted on social media showed the interior of the airport with emergency lighting alone.
The London Fire Department said a transformer at Hayes’ substation north of Heathrow is on fire, evacuating 150 people. He said he was called to the scene shortly after 11:20pm Thursday (7:20pm ET).
“This is a very prominent and important incident, and our firefighters are tirelessly trying in challenging circumstances to control the fire as quickly as possible,” Deputy Fire Chief Pat Gouldborne said in a statement.
The fire caused power outages in “many homes and local businesses,” Ghoulborn said, and there was heavy smoke.
The cause of the fire was unknown, the firefighters said. “This is going to be a long-term incident,” Ghoulborn said.
As of early Friday morning, National Grid UK said in a post on X that it had no electricity as at least 4,900 customers were working to restore electricity to affected areas.
National Air Traffic Services (NATS), a leading UK air traffic control service provider, said it is working closely with Heathrow and the airlines to manage the disruption caused by the sudden closure.
“We have a properly rehearsed plan that includes requirements for aircraft to return, turn to a non-KUK airport, and halt other flights at the departure point,” it said.
Nats added that this is part of the aviation industry’s “mass outflow plan,” revealing airlines have limited ability to respond to detours to other UK airports.
Heathrow-based British Airways looked like an airline affected by the closure, with at least 124 flights affected early Friday morning, according to data published by FlightAware.
In a statement, an airline spokesman said the closure would “have a major impact on our operations.” If possible, he said he was redirecting inbound flights on his way to Heathrow to other airports in the UK
As of early Friday, other UK airports were still not heavily affected by the changes. A spokesman for London Luton Airport said the operation was not affected.
Meanwhile, operations at London Stansted Airport seem to be running smoothly.
“Departure this morning is less busy than usual. Either way, security was actually faster than usual,” said Fionaday, social media editor at NBC News.
In 2021, Heathrow celebrated its 75th anniversary since becoming a commercial airport. Before that, it was an airfield for the Royal Air Force during World War II.
Chantal da Silva and Zoe Holland were reported from Los Angeles by London and Phil Helsel.
This story first appeared on nbcnews.com. More from NBC News:
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