L'London Heathrow airportone of the world's busiest, will remain closed all day on Friday, March 21, 2025. This closure is the consequence of a power failure caused by a fire in an electrical substation. More than 341 flights were due to land there that day, involving diversions to other airports such as Gatwick. British Airways saw its site saturated with visitors, while Virgin Atlantic is asking its customers to wait to be contacted in the event of cancellation. Disruptions could cost airlines dearly in terms of reimbursements.
Unscheduled closure of Heathrow
This Friday, March 21, 2025 promises to be a tumultuous one at theLondon Heathrow airportwhich will remain closed until 11:59pm. A fire triggered in an electrical substation caused a massive power failure, plunging the airport into darkness. The consequences were not limited to this temporary closure, but extended to the entire global air traffic.
Impact on airlines and their passengers
No fewer than 341 of the airline's flights were due to land at Heathrow that day, causing major disruption for passengers. Particularly hard hit was British Airways, whose website that morning was overwhelmed by heavy traffic, making it unavailable to many. In parallel, Virgin Atlantic also urged its customers not to contact its call center due to the high volume of calls.
To mitigate the impact on travelers, flexible alternatives are offered to adjust their travel plans. However, ticket refunds could cost up to 3% of the company's earnings before interest and taxes. IAG group in 2025, which promises to be disastrous for the structure's economy.
Emergency measures: flights diverted
In response to this chaos, almost 120 aircraft will be diverted to other airports or will take alternative routes to avoid Heathrow. Gatwick airport, further south, will be particularly busy, taking on some of the flights originally destined for Heathrow, heralding a peak in activity.
Le site FlyWest points out that this closure is the latest in a series of worldwide IT disruptions which impacted air transport.
No exception to global angst
In the globalized context of air transport, an incident at a nerve center like Heathrow has cascading repercussions. FlightRadar24 was already reporting 1,300 disrupted take-offs and landings worldwide every day, a figure that is growing with this major disruption.
At the same time, various complications are affecting other regions, as illustrated by this DHL cargo plane which crashed in Vilnius. The fine mosaic of the world's air traffic seems to have been unravelled by a series of unforeseeable misfortunes.
Comparative reasons for a chaotic weekend at London Heathrow airport
| Event | Description |
| Power failure | Fire in an electrical substation |
| Airport closure | Total interruption all day Friday |
| Affected flights | 341 flights initially scheduled at Heathrow |
| Refunds | Cost up to 3% of projected earnings in 2025 |
| Website unavailable | Overcrowding |
| Messages to travelers | We advise against going to the airport |
| Flight schedule | To other airports like Gatwick |
| Handling customer calls | Call volume too high |
| Companies affected | British Airways and Virgin Atlantic in particular |
| Carrier reactions | Flexible options for adjusting travel plans |
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