Hello and welcome to the April issue of Airliner World, incorporating Airports of the World. As I write this, the UK’s largest airport, London Heathrow – handling more than 1,300 aircraft movements daily – is eerily silent. Not a single aircraft has taken off or landed so far today. March 21, 2025, will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the most disrupted days in Heathrow’s history. A fire at a local electrical substation supplying the airport triggered a “significant power outage”, bringing operations at the airport to a complete standstill. In an almost unprecedented move, the airport operator promptly announced a full-day closure.
Disruption at Heathrow is nothing new – the hub certainly experiences its fair share of operational challenges – but these typically affect specific airlines rather than the entire airport. What strikes me as particularly surprising is Heathrow’s decision not to operate any flights at all, opting instead for a full 24-hour shutdown. The airport stated this was necessary to “maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues.”