Air India cancels six flights between India and Heathrow airport amid power outage – ET TravelWorld

Air India has cancelled six flights between India and Heathrow airport, London amid a power outage. At least six airlines – British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, United Airlines, Singapore Airlines, China Airlines, EVA Air have cancelled flights to the airport, too. According to reports, around 1300 flights have been cancelled already.

A major power outage at London Heathrow Airport has led to widespread flight cancellations, affecting several airlines operating between India and the UK. Heathrow Airport cited a fire at an electrical substation as the cause and announced the closure of operations until 11:59 PM on March 21, 2025.

Air India, which operates 84 weekly flights to Heathrow, confirmed major disruptions. Its Mumbai-London flight AI129 returned to Mumbai, while AI161 from Delhi was diverted to Frankfurt. All flights to and from Heathrow, including AI111, were cancelled for March 21. However, flights to London Gatwick remain unaffected. Air India also operates flights to Gatwick from Ahmedabad (five times a week), Goa (four times), Amritsar (three times), and Kochi (three times), ensuring connectivity with the UK.

British Airways, the largest operator on the India-Heathrow route with 56 weekly flights, faced major disruptions. The airline, which runs three daily flights from Mumbai, two from Delhi, and daily services from Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad, said, “We’re working as quickly as possible to update [customers] on their travel options for the next 24 hours and beyond.”

Virgin Atlantic, which operates 35 weekly flights between India and Heathrow, also suffered cancellations. A spokesperson said on X, “Unfortunately, this has had a significant impact on our flying programme both into and out of Heathrow.”

Singapore Airlines (SIA) too reported cancellations and warned that more flights might be affected. “SIA will be contacting all affected customers to inform them about the changes to their flights,” the airline said.

As of March 21, 2025, approximately 166 flights operate weekly between India and Heathrow, averaging 24 per day. The shutdown underscores Heathrow’s critical role in India-UK air travel, with airlines working to restore normal operations.