Scottish flights cancelled due to Heathrow closure following substation fire
Passengers have been urged to check the status of their flights ahead of time.
Flights from Scotland to Heathrow have been cancelled following a fire at an electrical substation which has led to the closure of the London airport.
Aberdeen and Glasgow airports said all flights to and from Heathrow have been cancelled for the remainder of Friday.
Edinburgh Airport has advised any British Airways passengers not to travel to the airport following the disruption at Heathrow.
More than 1,300 flights to and from Heathrow Airport will be disrupted on Friday because of the closure.
Members of the Tartan Army celebrating Scotland’s 1-0 win over Greece in Athens on Thursday evening also face disruption if they had planned to travel home via Heathrow on Friday.
AGS Airports, which operates Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton (AGS) airports, said all flights to and from Heathrow have been cancelled for the remainder of Friday.
“Our airports are operating as normal apart from all flights to and from London Heathrow which have been cancelled for the remainder of the day,” a spokesperson said.
“Any passenger scheduled to fly to Heathrow should contact their airline directly before travelling to the airport.”
Glasgow and Aberdeen Airport posted the same message on X, which stated: “Heathrow Airport (LHR) is closed today due to a significant power outage.
“We advise all passengers travelling to LHR to check with their airline before heading to the airport, as all flights to Heathrow have been cancelled.”
Edinburgh Airport said: “Due to temporary closure of Heathrow Airport, all British Airways passengers are being advised not to travel to Edinburgh Airport and to contact British Airways for further information.
“Flights with other airlines to other London airports are currently operating as normal.”
The airport added it has not been asked to take any diverted flights.
Edinburgh Airport said that British Airways flights to London City Airport are running as normal.
One of those affected by the disruption was Kristofer, who was originally travelling from New Orleans to Warsaw in Poland via Heathrow but saw his flight diverted to Glasgow Airport.
He has now booked a flight from Glasgow to Krakow and says he should arrive there for 7pm.
Kristofer, who did not wish to give his surname, told the PA news agency: “Today I was travelling from New Orleans via Heathrow, and the final destination was Warsaw. But because of the problems we are now in Glasgow.
“It was suggested we take a bus to London. It would have taken eight hours to travel by bus to London and when we asked what is the plan upon getting to London, they said they don’t know.”
Another passenger diverted from New Orleans to Glasgow was Ulrike who was travelling to Germany.
She said: “We were travelling from New Orleans to London and then to Munich. Tomorrow we will travel to Frankfurt, not London.”
The Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association (SPAA) advised all travellers due to fly via Heathrow on Friday to check with their airline or travel agent as soon as possible following the airport’s unexpected closure.
An SPAA spokesperson said: “Heathrow is a vital connection point for travellers from Scotland heading to destinations around the world.
“Today’s closure is causing severe disruption and the situation is changing rapidly. Travellers with connecting flights – particularly those heading long haul – should not assume that their journey will go ahead as planned.
“When things go wrong, having a travel agent on your side can make all the difference.
“We’re hearing from SPAA members across Scotland who are working hard behind the scenes today to rebook clients, secure alternative routes and ensure minimal disruption to travel plans. If you’ve booked through a professional agent, you’re not facing the stress alone.”
Thousands of homes were left without power and more than 100 people were evacuated after a transformer within the North Hyde electrical substation caught fire in west London.
Heathrow, which is supplied by the affected substation, said it was among those impacted by the power outage.
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.
Emergency services were called to the scene at 11.23pm on Thursday.
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
