Heathrow Airport Fire: What Are Your Rights If Your Flight Was Cancelled or Delayed?

A major fire at an electrical substation in Hayes, just 1.5 miles from Heathrow Airport, has triggered a total shutdown of the UK’s busiest aviation hub. As of this morning, March 21st, all flights to and from Heathrow have been cancelled or diverted, affecting more than 1,300 scheduled flights and around 145,000 passengers globally.

If your travel plans have been thrown into chaos, you’re not alone. Here's what happened — and what you need to know about your rights, refunds, and compensation under UK and EU regulations.

What Happened at Heathrow?

At around 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, a fire broke out at the North Hyde electrical substation in west London. The blaze knocked out power to Heathrow Airport, affecting both terminals and air traffic control systems. While firefighters managed to get the flames under control by 6:30 a.m., the disruption has already snowballed across global flight networks.

Heathrow Airport has confirmed it will remain closed for the entire day. Passengers have been urged not to travel to the airport, and airlines are scrambling to re-route or cancel services. Several long-haul flights have been diverted to Paris, Dublin, and other European cities.

Can You Claim Flight Delay Compensation?

Under UK and EU law, your eligibility for compensation depends on a few key factors — but this incident is likely to fall under what’s considered an “extraordinary circumstance.”

What is an Extraordinary Circumstance?

Events outside the airline’s control — like severe weather, security risks, strikes by airport staff, or infrastructure failures (like today’s substation fire) — are generally not eligible for additional compensation. That means you probably won’t be entitled to a payout under the UK/EU261 compensation scheme for delay or cancellation in this case.

That said, your airline still has a duty of care to you. That includes:

What Airlines Must Provide

Even if the disruption isn't their fault, airlines still owe you assistance. This includes:

• Alternative transport: Rebooking you on the next available flight to your destination, even if it's with a different airline.
• Refunds: If your outbound flight is cancelled, you can get a full refund — including the return leg of your trip if you no longer wish to travel.
• Meals and accommodation: If you’re stranded, the airline must provide food, drink, and hotel stays if necessary. If they can’t arrange this, you can book it yourself — just keep all receipts.
• Transfers: Transport to and from any overnight accommodation.

What If You Booked a Package Holiday?

If your flight was part of a package holiday booked with an ABTA member, you're covered under Package Travel Regulations. That means you're entitled to either an alternative flight or a full refund. Your travel provider should handle all rebooking and refunds on your behalf.

What About Travel Insurance?

While most standard travel insurance policies cover travel abandonment, fewer include wider disruption coverage by default. If you used a credit card to book, check if your card offers travel protection — it may help cover unused accommodation or extra transport costs.

Final Advice

If your flight was cancelled or rerouted due to today’s Heathrow outage:

1. Contact your airline immediately for rebooking options.
2. Keep receipts for any expenses you incur — food, hotel, transfers.
3. Check your travel insurance policy or contact your credit card provider for potential reimbursement.
4. Don’t head to the airport unless advised — Heathrow remains closed until at least midnight.

This incident highlights how dependent the aviation industry is on infrastructure — and how quickly things can unravel. While you might not get compensation this time, you still have rights. Make sure you use them.