Heathrow Airport travel chaos ‘is just like 9/11 terrorist attack and Iceland ash cloud’

Passengers were seen stranded on roads surrounding Heathrow Airport after the power outage shut everything down this morning.

The chaos has affected thousands of passengers in the UK and worldwide due to fly in and out of Heathrow.

Heathrow Express warned passengers that trains to the airport will be cancelled or revised today as a result of the power outage, which has closed the airport at least until midnight.

Firefighters evacuated 29 people from neighbouring properties surrounding the substation in Hayes, and a further 150 people were also evacuated within a safety cordon.

The council said that most of the evacuees had dispersed and made their own arrangements for accommodation today.

Twelve people are being assisted with hotel accommodation until they can return home, Hillingdon Council said.

Nearby schools and nurseries are affected too, with schools having to close on Friday while Nestles Avenu Early Years Centre will remain shut for the day due to loss of power.

Ryanair said it will launch eight extra flights for stranded passengers to and from London Stansted Airport today and tomorrow.

It said the ‘rescue’ flights are available for booking from 9.30am today on the Ryanair website.

Friday

Two flights from Dublin to Stansted

Two flights from Stansted to Dublin

Saturday

Two flights from Dublin to Stansted

Two flights from Stansted to Dublin

Eyewitness Adeel Anwar said he first noticed something was wrong when all the lights on the roads were out as he was driving through the area.  

He said it was ‘absolutely apocalyptic’ and a ‘free for all’ as traffic lights were out.  

He told Sky News: ‘I slowly realised the sky was darkening and it was a scene that was chaotic, it looked like something out of a movie.  

‘I approached the flyover and I felt this heat. I had my sunroof open but I closed my windows and everything.  

‘I just tried to get out of the area as quickly as possible. I was not messing around there.’ 

Sections of major motorways and A-roads leading to Heathrow Airport have closed after the fire in Hayes.

You can find all the west London road closures below.

Sharan Dhaliwal whose power was cut off just before midnight at her west London home described scenes ‘like the end of the world’ as she saw a blood red sky out of her window in Heston.

She told Metro: ‘The lights went off and there was no mobile signal, no bars. It was a bit like the end of the world.’

She added: ‘My dad lives not far from here so we went to check on him. There were no street lights and traffic lights were not working. It was all very eerie. He had power so we returned home but saw an accident on the road on the way back. It was so dark.

My power is back now but it’s been a very strange night.’

All Heathrow flights have been grounded today.

You can find the list of affected flights below.

If your travel plans have been upended, please get in touch with us by emailing [email protected].

An aviation expert warned that the flight disruption at Heathrow will ‘run for several days.’

Aviation consultant John Strickland compared the impact on flights the closure is having to the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City.

He said: ‘It’s a contained version of 9/11 or, to an extent, the Icelandic volcanic eruption.

‘I remembered seeing on those occasions – particularly more so on 9/11 – it happened so quick and then US airspace was closed, they were turning back aircraft and holding planes.

‘That’s the parallel I would make.

‘Heathrow being such a busy airport and full, there’s no kind of wriggle room for getting out of these kind of things.’

There have been no injuries at the electrical substation fire in Hayes near Heathrow Airport, the emergency services said.

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: ‘We are currently supporting emergency services colleagues at the scene of a fire in Hayes.

‘Please try to avoid the area and, if you live nearby, stay indoors and keep windows closed.’

Dozens of homes have been cut off near the scene and 29 people were evacuated as a precaution, the London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne said.

He warned: ‘Due to the significant smoke, we strongly advise local residents to keep their windows and doors closed, as some smoke will remain for a number of hours today.

‘Scientific advisers will also be on-site this morning to conduct further assessments and monitor the air quality.’

A pilot has warned the closure of Heathrow Airport could have a knock on effect for some time.

Former BA pilot Alastair Rosenchein told Sky News: ‘When something large happens like this it’s impossible to accommodate all passengers and crew affected.

‘It’s going to affect tens of thousands of people. It’s going to be stretching staff to inform all passengers as what to do.’

He added disruption could carry on for some time.

Some 100,000 homes were without power overnight as a result of the fire near Heathrow Airport, Ed Miliband said, adding this had now been brought down to 4,000.

The Energy Secretary told BBC Breakfast: ‘My understanding from the grid is 100,000 homes were without power as a result of this fire overnight.

‘The figure they gave to me a short time ago was that that’s down now to 4,000.

‘But, obviously, this is a fast-moving situation and we will be doing everything we can to work with grid on the work they’re doing to restore power.’

Asked how a fire at a single substation had been able to severely disrupt the UK’s busiest airport, Mr Miliband said: ‘We don’t know the cause of this fire. It’s obviously an unprecedented event.

‘But I think what you’re right to say is we will want to understand both the causes of this event and what lessons, if any, it can teach us.’

Heidi Alexander has told travellers not to head to Heathrow Airport, which has been locked down after the fire nearby.

She wrote on X this morning: ‘I’m receiving updates on the fast-moving situation at Heathrow Airport.

‘I’m grateful to emergency services responding to the fire, and National Grid for working to restore power to the airport and homes.

‘I’d urge passengers not to travel to the airport, and contact their airline.’

A number of road closures are in place surrounding Heathrow to try and urge passengers not to enter the airport.

The Heathrow tunnel next to the M4, which recently closed for the day after a car caught fire inside the tunnel, is listed as close until 10am, while the A312 is listed as closed until midnight.

The Government will be doing everything it can to restore power to Heathrow Airport, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has said.

Mr Miliband was asked by Sky News whether there would be an emergency meeting of senior ministers to sort out the issue.

He replied: ‘I’m sure the Government will be convening in the most appropriate way.

‘I’m not going to anticipate the precise form of that, but I’m already in touch with my colleagues on this issue.

‘As I say, I’ve spoken to the National Grid, who are really at the epicentre of this, and we will be doing everything we can, both to restore power and help the National Grid.

‘To do that, and to ensure that the DfT (Department for Transport), and the Government as a whole, plays its part in, as best we can, minimising the disruption to passengers.’

Online flight tracking service FlightRadar24 said the closure would affect more than 1,350 flights to and from Heathrow. This includes 679 scheduled to land and 678 due to take off from the airport.

It said 120 flights to the airport were in the air when the closure was announced.

Heathrow is the UK’s largest airport, with more than 83.9 million passengers travelling through its terminals in 2024.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said on X there was a large-scale power outage in Hayes, Hounslow and the surrounding areas impacting more than 16,300 homes.

According to the power company’s website, authorities aimed to restore power by 3pm on Friday.