easyJet has shared it will be taking some measures to help accommodate disrupted Heathrow passengers today (Friday, March 21).
The airline, which does not operate at Heathrow, said it will use larger-than-planned aircraft on key routes on Friday and over the weekend.
Several flights between the UK and Milan, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Paris, Munich and Madrid will have A320 aircraft with capacity for 186 passengers, instead of A319 aircraft which can only carry 156 passengers, the PA News agency reports.
Therefore, some passengers who were planning to fly to Heathrow may be able to board an easyJet flight to another UK airport instead thanks to the increased capacity.
easyJet is not the only airline to offer assistance to disrupted passengers as Ryanair said it would organise eight “rescue flights” between the UK and Ireland for passengers affected by the closure of Heathrow.
The Irish airline said in a statement: “Ryanair will operate 4 extra flights between Dublin and Stansted on Friday afternoon as well as 4 extra flights on Sat morning.
“These flights can be booked on http://Ryanair.com from 09:30AM this morning.”
Why is Heathrow Airport closed?
A fire at an electrical substation in west London, which supplies Heathrow, caused a major power outage at the airport, prompting its closure, BBC News reports.
It is not yet known what caused the fire at the substation, but emergency services were first called to Nestles Avenues in Hayes after 11pm on Thursday (March 20).
Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage.
— Heathrow Airport (@HeathrowAirport) March 21, 2025
To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23h59 on 21 March.
Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport… pic.twitter.com/7SWNJP8ojd
The London Fire Bridge said the fire was under control by 6.28am.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the substation's back-up generator "appears to have been knocked out".
Videos shared on social media showed tall flames and plumes of smoke billowing from the substation overnight.
People living nearby have been advised to keep doors and windows closed to avoid smoke inhalation. Several road closures are also in place.
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How long will Heathrow Airport be closed?
The airport will be closed until at least 11.59pm on Friday, Heathrow said in a statement, but it warned customers to expect "significant disruption over the coming days".
The travel disruption was expected to affect many other airports, as airlines cancelled and diverted flights.
Heathrow said it does "not have clarity on when power may be reliably restored".
The airport has apologised for the disruption and has advised passengers to contact their airlines for further information.
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