Heathrow Airport fire: Is my flight from Edinburgh Airport affected? Departures and arrivals cancelled
Flights across a host of Scottish airports, including Edinburgh and Glasgow, will be cancelled due to the fire that has shut London Heathrow for all of Friday
A major fire at an electrical substation that has forced the closure of London Heathrow Airport will have a significant knock-on impact on flights going to and coming from Scottish airports.
Heathrow is Edinburgh and Glasgow's busiest route, with scores of flights travelling between the hubs each day.
Here is what The Scotsman knows so far.
How many flights have been affected by the London Heathrow closure?
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.
Will my departure or arrival flight at Edinburgh Airport be affected?
If the flight is either scheduled to travel from Edinburgh Airport to Heathrow or to land in the Scottish capital from London’s biggest airport, then yes. All flights from Scottish airports due to land at Heathrow have been cancelled for Friday.
Edinburgh Airport has confirmed ten flights - all British Airways - to Heathrow and 12 from Heathrow are affected. These flights carry about 2,800 passengers a day among 37,000 daily passengers at Edinburgh - about 8 per cent of the total traffic.
It has also been confirmed to The Scotsman that more Edinburgh Airport passengers connect to other flights at Heathrow than at other hubs such as Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt.
Edinburgh Airport has not been asked to take any diverted flights to date.
The airport has posted on social media to say: “Due to ongoing fire near @HeathrowAirport , @British_Airways passengers are advised not to travel to the airport and should contact @British_Airways for further information.”
The 7.25am British Airways flight, BA1443, bound for London Heathrow was among the first cancelled on Friday morning.
An Edinburgh Airport spokesperson added: “Due to the temporary closure of Heathrow Airport, all British Airways passengers travelling to Heathrow are being advised not to travel to the airport and to contact British Airways for further information. Flights to other London airports are currently operating as normal.”
Are departure or arrival flights from other airports like Glasgow and Aberdeen affected?
Yes - any other flights due to land at Heathrow from Scottish airports, including from Glasgow and Aberdeen, will also be cancelled.
A spokesperson for AGS Airports, which operates Aberdeen and Glasgow airports, said: “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. Any passenger scheduled to fly to Heathrow should contact their airline directly before travelling to the airport.”
How long for are flights expected to be cancelled?
The closure of London Heathrow Airport is due to last all of Friday, but disruption is expected to continue into the weekend.
Glasgow Airport has posted on X: “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.”
The fire at an electrical substation that led to the closure of Heathrow Airport is now under control, the London Fire Brigade said. However, any power is not expected to be restored until at least 3pm on Friday.
What should I do if my flight is affected?
The Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association (SPAA) is advising 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 closure. The SPAA has urged travellers not to go to the airport without confirming the status of their travel plans.
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.”
Munro’s Travel is likewise advising its clients, and marine and energy sector travellers to review all travel plans involving London Heathrow Airport.
Murray Burnett, managing director of Munro’s Travel, said: “Our priority is ensuring the safety and well-being of our travellers, particularly those working in critical energy, renewables and marine operations. The situation at Heathrow is evolving, and we are working closely with clients, airlines and partners to reroute or rebook affected travellers and minimise disruption to essential crew movements.”
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