Passengers 'should not travel to airport under any circumstances' - Heathrow statement in full after closure

Plane tracking site Flightradar24 has put out some more numbers and is estimating at least 1,351 flights in/out of Heathrow will be affected today.

It said on X the figure did not include flights "that might be cancelled or delayed due to aircraft being out of position".

As Heathrow warned in its statement earlier, there is likely to be "significant disruption over the coming days" - but even that could prove to be an understatement.

Sky News Los Angeles producer Sarah Gough says her parents' flight back to London has been forced to turn around and is heading back to LA.

She describes an anxious wait scanning flight apps to find out whether their plane would carry on or do an about-turn.

When the news broke about Heathrow's closure, I furiously checked Flightradar online. 

My parents were two hours into their flight from Los Angeles to Heathrow, due to land back home on Friday around lunchtime. 

They've just been out to visit me in LA for a fortnight. Flying for them is a big deal - they're in their 70s, and don't do it very often. 

For about half an hour I didn't know what was going on.

Would incoming flights be able to land at Heathrow? Their website wasn't working. How could I check? 

They're on an American Airlines flight - could I find out any information from them? There was no 'out-of-business hours' number to call. 

I scrolled X for updates, but there was nothing. Watching the flight tracker like a hawk was the only option. 

Then I saw their small 2D plane start to turn around - the flight was being diverted back to LAX. I'll be on my way to collect them shortly. 

I still haven't managed to speak to them, so I'm hoping they're not panicked, even though it's very panic inducing to get your flight diverted mid-air. 

The closure of one of the world's busiest airports at such short notice will cause chaos. 

With 120 flights en route to Heathrow at the time of the closure, and many more now cancelled, the disruption caused to passengers in the UK and around the globe is enormous.

As well as the problems at Heathrow, electricity firm SSEN has said around 16,000 homes are without power in some areas around the west London airport.

It's just posted on X to ask people who need electricity due to a medical condition to call them on 105.

Video from the scene of the fire in Hayes, about a mile and a half north of the airport, shows fierce flames and dense black smoke. 

London Fire Brigade said a transformer within the electricity substation was alight - but they don't yet know how the blaze started.

Respected flight tracking site Flightradar24 says at least 120 flights already in the air and bound for Heathrow will have to divert. 

Its post on X shows a mass of planes heading to the airport from Asia and across the Atlantic.

The first flights normally start landing at the airport around 5am.

London Fire Brigade said 10 fire engines and around 70 firefighters are tackling a fire at an electrical substation on Nestles Avenue in Hayes. 

A transformer within the substation is alight. 

Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne said: "This is a highly visible and significant incident, and our firefighters are working tirelessly in challenging conditions to bring the fire under control as swiftly as possible.

"The fire has caused a power outage affecting a large number of homes and local businesses, and we are working closely with our partners to minimise disruption.

"Firefighters have led 29 people to safety from neighbouring properties, and as a precaution, a 200-metre cordon has been established, with around 150 people evacuated."

Those that live nearby have been advised to keep their windows and doors closed. 

The cause of the fire is not known at this time.

The fire at the electrical substation in Hayes - around 1.5 miles from Heathrow. 

The blaze has caused power outages in the area.

A Heathrow spokesperson said: "Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage across the airport due to a large fire at a nearby electrical substation. 

"Whilst fire crews are responding to the incident, we do not have clarity on when power may be reliably restored. 

"To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, we have no choice but to close Heathrow until 23h59 on 21 March 2025. 

"We expect significant disruption over the coming days and passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens. 

"We will provide an update when more information on the resumption of operations is available. 

"We know this will be disappointing for passengers and we want to reassure that we are working as hard as possible to resolve the situation." 

A fire was reported around 1.5 miles away from Heathrow in Haynes just before midnight. 

London Fire Brigade attended the fire at an electrical substation in Hayes.

The incident caused power outages in the area - with the airport being affected.

Images of the fire at the substation in Hayes showed large flames and plumes of thick black smoke.

Around 150 people were evacuated and a 200-metre cordon was put in place.

Welcome to our live coverage. Heathrow has been forced to close after suffering "a significant power outage across the airport" due to a nearby fire.

Passengers have been told to stay away until further notice.

A spokesperson said the decision was made to "maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues". 

The airport will be closed until 23.59pm today.