Heathrow closure throws travel plans into chaos - as weddings, rugby tours and Arctic Circle trips affected

Thousands of passengers are facing delays and cancellations after Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport, was forced to close following a fire at a nearby substation.

Travellers heading to weddings, the Arctic Circle, rugby matches and birthdays have been left scrambling to find alternatives.

Around 1,357 flights have been affected, according to data from Flight Radar.

Follow live updates on Heathrow closure

Sleeping in the snow

Jordan Wylie MBE told Sky News he is sleeping in the snow tonight after his flight home from northern Sweden was cancelled.

The adventurer was training for an Antarctic expedition where he will attempt to climb a series of unclimbed and unnamed peaks in aid of the Army Cadets Charity.

However, his training has been extended by one more day because of the Heathrow chaos and he will sleep in his tent again.

Read more: What are your rights if your flight is delayed or cancelled?

He will now have to fly "from Northern Sweden to Stockholm to Frankfurt to Heathrow but not for at least 24 hours", according to representatives he's spoken to from Scandinavia Airlines (SAS).

Long-awaited best friend's wedding

One woman in Minneapolis said her husband would miss his best friend's wedding after their flight was turned around over the Atlantic Ocean.

"This wedding is a huge deal because it got postponed due to Covid, then their toddler got leukaemia," she said.

"Now the wedding is finally happening. We are so gutted," she said, adding it was the family's first international flight.

"We are back in our car in Minneapolis heading home at 2.40am with our toddlers wide awake in the back seat wondering why we aren't in London."

"Absolute shambles" says passenger heading back for new job

Lloyd Mcbratney described "panic and confusion" on his flight from Kuwait to Heathrow when the plane "suddenly U-turned without explanation".

He and his girlfriend were travelling back from a trip to the Philippines but are now waiting at an airport hotel in Kuwait.

"We have no idea when we will be going back home, 0 guidance, 0 communication," he told Sky News.

To make matters worse, Mr Mcbratney starts a new job on Monday.

"Absolute shambles," he said.

Rugby juniors missing out on 'trip of a lifetime'

Alex Wiffen says the London Irish Under 12s rugby team have had the "trip of a lifetime" to Dublin thrown into disarray.

Forty-five girls and boys were supposed to graduate from minis to their first junior rugby games this weekend after fundraising for the trip for a year, he said.

"It's a trip that's been happening for 40 years and it's the inaugural trip for the girls' team," says Alex.

"Our flights at 8am this morning were cancelled and now there is no way to get to Dublin."

The players and 70 parents are now just "praying we can get there ASAP" before their first match against Clontarf Rugby Club tomorrow morning.

Stuck at Manchester airport

Nigel and Pam Turner have been diverted into Manchester Airport from Heathrow after they flew out from Dubai.

They were expecting to land at Heathrow at 7am - but are now stuck waiting in Manchester Airport until 7pm for an onward flight to Guernsey, which they paid for themselves.

The couple said they only found out what had happened while they were in the air - when they saw the couple in front had the news on their screens, and realised there had been a fire affecting Heathrow.

It wasn't until the plane was over the English Channel they found out they would actually be landing in Manchester.

Speaking from a coffee shop at T2 arrivals, they said they were in good spirits, but hoping to find somewhere comfortable to wait out the nine hours before their flight out. "C'est la vie" Nigel said. "Nothing we can do about it".

Husky-sledding in the Arctic Circle

John Climpson said he was up at 3am to fly out to the north of Sweden to start a 240km husky sledding challenge in the Arctic Circle.

"Now the whole trip might be cancelled," he said.

"Everyone is now desperately trying to rebook hotel rooms at the Terminal 2 Premier Inn."

Confusion in Shanghai

A family of four coming home from a two-week tour of China said they found out their flight home was "delayed" at check-in at Shanghai airport.

After travelling from Beijing to Xi'an and Shanghai, Sohan Shah and his family, from Croydon, found confusing scenes at the airport.

"Due to the language barrier staff could not explain to us why, until we saw the Sky News report explaining the Heathrow fire," said Mr Shah.

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"[The airport staff] kept sending us back and forth to different counters where we have now been rebooked to a flight to London Gatwick at 1.30 in the morning," he told Sky News.

"They eventually put us in a coach to a local hotel and provided food vouchers for the night," he said.

From Derby to DC for 50th birthday

Virgin Atlantic passenger Andy was supposed to be flying from Heathrow to Washington DC today to start his 50th birthday celebrations.

Instead, he is stuck in a hotel room he booked for last night to break up the travel day.

"I live in Derby - and I'm unsure whether to stay in London or go home and wait to hear more," he said.

Heathrow has cancelled all flights until midnight on Friday.

U-turn to the US

Rafa, from London, was on a flight from Dallas when the pilot U-turned at 4am.

"Cannot believe that Heathrow, one of the world's busiest and best airports, is not running on some sort of independent power to carry on operations," he said.

"And the decision made to turn around to America is crazy considering how many flight options [there] are from Germany and France back to the UK."

He added: "Nightmare on all accounts."

Anniversary celebrations delayed

Carly and Mel were due to fly to Bali with Singapore Airlines this morning for their seven-year anniversary before finding out what had happened at 5.20am.

After working out their options, they managed to book a flight from Charles de Gaulle in Paris to Singapore.

They then headed to Victoria Coach station before overnight travel to the French capital.

From there, they'll make their way to Denpasar in Indonesia before another connecting flight will take them to Labuan Bajo and then to the island of Komodo.

"By the time we arrive, we will have had to take a train, coach, another train and three flights, but thanks to our own tenacity and the help of Singapore Airlines we will at least make it!"

(c) Sky News 2025: Heathrow closure throws travel plans into chaos - as weddings, rugby tours and Arctic