Heathrow Airport in the UK was shut down for an entire day due to a fire that also affected thousands of homes in the region. Radar images reveal the state of flights during the incident.
After a fire at a power substation in the UK, Heathrow Airport was forced to close until midnight on March 21. Thousands of homes in the surrounding area were left without power.
Images provided by Flightradar24, an air traffic tracking platform, show the flight flow before and after the incident. The airport was deserted during the day.
“While fire crews address the incident, we still do not have a reliable timeline for when power will be fully restored,” a spokesperson reported.
According to LADbible, approximately 1,300 flights and 200,000 passengers are expected to face delays due to the fire. Heathrow Airport is the busiest in the UK.
Gatwick Airport took in flights originally bound for Heathrow, with some rerouted to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France, and others to Shannon Airport in Ireland, as reported by radar data.
Since the fire was caused by extraordinary circumstances, airlines are not obligated to pay compensation to passengers. However, affected travelers are entitled to a full refund or an alternative flight to their intended destination.
Photos and video: Courtesy of Pexels X @flightradar24. This content was created with AI assistance and reviewed by the editorial team.
