A massive power outage triggered by a fire at a nearby electrical substation forced the closure of London Heathrow Airport on Friday, March 21st, 2025, causing widespread disruption not just for passengers—but significantly impacting airfreight operations across the UK and beyond.

READ: London’s Heathrow Airport announces complete shutdown due to power outage

Heathrow, one of Europe’s busiest cargo hubs, handles a significant proportion of the UK’s import and export airfreight, with most cargo typically transported in the bellyholds of passenger aircraft. The closure, which is expected to last until at least midnight, has led to hundreds of flight cancellations and delayed freight movements, prompting logistics companies and industry stakeholders to sound the alarm.

A Heathrow spokesperson confirmed:

“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 made the decision to close Heathrow until 23h59 on 21 March 2025.”

Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage.

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

— Heathrow Airport (@HeathrowAirport) March 21, 2025

The airport also warned of “significant disruption over the coming days,” urging all travellers and cargo stakeholders not to approach the airport until further notice.

Industry scrambles for contingency plans

IAG Cargo, whose operations are heavily centred at Heathrow, acknowledged the situation:

“Our colleagues are actively working to minimise disruption and will be in contact with our customers.”

However, other cargo handlers are less optimistic. Logistics firms are now urgently rerouting freight via alternative airports and warning customers of expected delays.

500 Logistics’ Stuart Lumsden issued a public update, saying:

“All import and export cargo operations have been suspended. There will be significant disruption until the issue can be resolved.”

Similarly, Dean Rawnsley of Cargo Overseas Ltd described cargo acceptance at Heathrow as “inconsistent across airlines,” with no export departures currently taking place and visibility limited on rerouted inbound shipments.

Team Air Express released an advisory noting the use of contingency measures, including Next-Flight-Out (NFO) services, on-board couriers (OBC), and prioritised airfreight solutions via alternate airports. “With capacity stretched across the network, some delays may be unavoidable,” they warned.

Meanwhile, PML Seafrigo stepped up to assist impacted shippers, offering a collection service from other UK airports and transfer to London Gatwick or Stansted. CEO Mike Parr said:

“We are keen to help companies affected by this situation, especially those whose consignments comprise perishable goods. Any delay has a detrimental effect on shelf life.”

The British International Freight Association (BIFA) voiced frustration over the lack of focus on air cargo in mainstream coverage of the Heathrow incident. A statement from the association noted:

“Regrettably, cargo has been largely overlooked. The impact will be significant on both import and export movements. Airline sheds will fill up rapidly and be unable to accept fresh freight deliveries, which will then affect other parties.”

BIFA also warned that the backlog could grow significantly in the coming days as passenger services resume and cargo capacity in bellyholds becomes restricted due to high seat demand.

Airlines on alert

Airlines are reportedly assessing impacts and working with their operations teams to divert cargo to alternative hubs. However, detailed responses have yet to be confirmed.

In a statement addressing operational safety, Joji Waites, Head of Flight Safety at the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA), said:

“Pilots are rigorously trained to deal with such situations. Every flight takes off with at least one formally nominated alternate aerodrome and sufficient fuel to get there.”

BALPA also acknowledged the broader operational ripple effect:

“When mass disruption events like this occur, aircraft and crew are often in the wrong place, so it is going to take a few days to get the operation back on track.”

Statement from Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan:

My statement on the incident at Heathrow this morning: pic.twitter.com/rv8vdRbCw2

— Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) March 21, 2025

IATA criticises infrastructure failures

Willie Walsh, Director General of IATA, responded sharply to Heathrow’s handling of the situation:

“This is yet another case of Heathrow letting down both travellers and airlines. If critical infrastructure is totally dependent on a single power source without an alternative, then it is a clear planning failure by the airport.”

And, from that arises the question of who bears the costs of taking care of disrupted travelers. We must find a fairer allocation of passenger care costs than airlines alone picking up the tab when infrastructure fails.

— IATA (@IATA) March 21, 2025

More updates will follow as the situation evolves.

Have you been affected by the Heathrow cargo disruption? Share your experience with Air Cargo Week: news@azurainternational.com