Heathrow power outage: Air India cancels all flights to/from airport
What's the story
Air India has announced the cancellation of all its flights to and from London's Heathrow Airport for today. The decision comes in light of a major power outage at the airport, which has been temporarily closed till 11:59pm London time. The disruption was caused by a fire at an electrical substation supplying power to the airport.
Flight updates
Flights diverted, operations suspended
Air India's Delhi-London flight AI 161 has been diverted to Frankfurt, while the Mumbai-London flight AI 129 is headed back to Mumbai. The airline's advisory says all other flights to and from London Heathrow, including today's early morning AI 111, have been canceled for March 21. However, flights to London Gatwick remain unaffected by this disruption.
Twitter Post
Take a look at Air India's post
#ImportantUpdate
— Air India (@airindia) March 21, 2025
Due to a significant power outage, London Heathrow Airport has been shut down until 23:59 on 21st March. All Air India flights to and from London Heathrow for 21st March have been cancelled.
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Airport closure
Heathrow Airport remains closed until midnight
Heathrow Airport announced its closure until midnight today. The airport wrote on social media, "To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23h59 on March 21." A spokesperson told Reuters that there is no clear timeline for when power may reliably be restored.
Twitter Post
Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage
Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage.
— Heathrow Airport (@HeathrowAirport) March 21, 2025
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… pic.twitter.com/7SWNJP8ojd
Global impact
Over 1,350 flights affected by Heathrow closure
The closure of Heathrow Airport is likely to affect global flight schedules considerably. According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, at least 120 inbound flights to Heathrow were forced to divert to other airports. The London Fire Brigade has confirmed that around 70 firefighters are working tirelessly to control the blaze, with the cause of the fire still under investigation.