Heathrow Airport in London, UK will be closed all day Friday after a fire at a nearby electrical substation that supplies it with power.
Heathrow, the world's second-busiest airport, warns of "significant disruption" over the coming days and tells passengers not to travel "under any circumstances" until it reopens.
At least 1,351 flights to and from the airport in west London could be cancelled today, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24.
The implications will stretch far wider than Heathrow, and could impact flights much further afield.
The fire at the substation in Hayes has left more than 4,900 homes without power and 150 people were evacuated from surrounding properties.
The cause of the fire is not yet known. More than 150 homes have been evacuated following the fire at North Hayes Electrical Substation - and many don’t know when they’ll return.
They say they watched the flames overnight and many are disturbed by what happened here.
Gatwick Airport had said it would step in and help as much as it can, but it is at full capacity and it's not realistic to think it will be able to take on much more.
There are other airports in the London area, such as Stansted and Luton, but capacity is still limited.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority, if your flight is delayed or cancelled, you may be entitled to compensation – but only when the airline is at fault. If the delay is caused by an "extraordinary circumstance" then passengers are not entitled to compensation.
