London’s Heathrow Airport closed, prompting delays and canceled flights at PHL and beyond

Heathrow, the United Kingdom’s biggest airport and a global travel hub, is closed Friday following a large nearby fire and power issues. Its impact is felt internationally, impacting hundreds of flights including some in Philadelphia.

The fire is under control, but the airport initially wasn’t expected to re-open until Saturday. At around 4:30 p.m. Friday London time, Heathrow officials said it was restarting some “reparation flights” for passengers diverted to other airports.

Still, the operation is slow-moving.

“We’re now safely able to restart flights, prioritising repatriation and relocation of aircraft,” airport officials said on X. “Please do not travel to the airport unless your airline has advised you to do so.”

The closure is expected to impact more than 1,300 flights in the coming days, CNN reported, along with “upwards of 145,000 passengers.”

At the Philadelphia International Airport, officials say some delays are expected from the Heathrow closure.

“PHL has four daily nonstop flights between Heathrow Airport and Philadelphia, on American Airlines and British Airways,” a PHL spokesperson said. “British Airways has canceled their arriving and departing flights today and, as of right now, American has canceled its arriving flight.”

Passengers planning to fly between London and Philadelphia should stay in touch with their airline for flight updates and instructions on what to do if their flights are delayed or canceled.

The incident is also causing a financial impact, with experts predicting a loss of hundreds of millions of dollars for the airline industry. CNN reported that shares in International Airlines Group — which owns British Airways — sank as much as 5% Friday morning after Heathrow’s closure left thousands of passengers stranded globally.