London's Heathrow airport completely shuts down after fire causes major power outage | DW News

Key Concepts:

• Power outage at Heathrow Airport
• Fire at an electrical substation in Hayes
• Airport shutdown until midnight
• Flight cancellations and diversions
• Impact on passengers and air traffic

Power Outage and Airport Shutdown:

• Heathrow Airport is experiencing a "significant power outage" due to a large fire at an electrical substation.
• The airport is shutting down completely until midnight on Friday night.
• Passengers are advised "not to travel to the airport under any circumstances until it reopens."

Fire at the Electrical Substation:

• The fire started at a substation in Hayes, approximately 2.5 kilometers from Heathrow Airport, "just before midnight local time."
• The London Fire Brigade has dispatched "10 fire engines" and "around 70 firefighters" to the scene.
• Assistant Commissioner Pat Goldborn stated, "The fire has caused a power outage affecting a large number of homes and local businesses and we're working closely with our partners to minimize disruption."
• "29 people have been led to safety from neighboring properties," and a "200 meter cordon" has been established, leading to the evacuation of "around 150 people."
• The cause of the fire is currently unknown.

Impact on Air Traffic and Passengers:

• Heathrow is one of Europe's busiest airports, handling "more than 80 million passengers a year."
• The airport averages "around 1,300 takeoffs and landings a day" and "over 200,000 passengers a day."
• The shutdown is causing "enormous" disruption, with numerous flight cancellations, including transatlantic flights from the United States.
• FlightAware reported cancellations of several flights, including two from JFK International Airport in New York (Delta Airlines and United Airlines flights affected).
• Flight Radar 24 estimates that the Heathrow closure will affect "at least 1,351 flights to and from the airport."
• "120 [flights] were in the air at the time of this fire."
• Some flights are being turned around or diverted to other airports.

Real-World Applications/Examples:

• Mention of specific airlines (Delta, United) and airports (JFK) affected by cancellations.
• Reference to FlightAware and Flight Radar 24 as sources for tracking flight cancellations and air traffic.
• Social media posts from passengers on affected flights are mentioned as a source of information.

Data and Statistics:

• Heathrow handles more than 80 million passengers a year.
• Heathrow averages around 1,300 takeoffs and landings a day.
• Heathrow averages over 200,000 passengers a day.
• Flight Radar 24 estimates that the Heathrow closure will affect at least 1,351 flights to and from the airport.
• 120 flights were in the air at the time of the fire.
• 10 fire engines and around 70 firefighters at the scene.
• 29 people have been led to safety from neighboring properties.
• A 200 meter cordon has been established, leading to the evacuation of around 150 people.

Synthesis/Conclusion:

The power outage at Heathrow Airport, caused by a fire at a nearby electrical substation, has resulted in a complete shutdown of the airport, causing significant disruption to air travel. Thousands of passengers are affected by flight cancellations and diversions. The situation is being managed by emergency services, and the cause of the fire is under investigation. The full extent of the disruption is still unfolding, with ongoing updates expected throughout the day.