Manchester Airport flights resume after power cut disorder, affecting up to 90,000 passengers. The power cut led to flight cancellations and diversions, causing significant disruption to travel plans.
Immediate Aftermath of the Power Cut
Up to 90,000 passengers were affected as flights were cancelled and scheduled arrivals diverted, creating a chaotic situation at the airport. Check-in and departures at Terminal 1 and 2 have now fully re-started, the airport said in an update.
Resumption of Flights
Flights at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 have resumed, bringing relief to passengers stranded due to the power cut chaos. Officials said further disruption is not expected on Monday and they are working to reschedule cancelled flights and reunite passengers without their bags.
Causes of the Power Cut
Airport managing director Chris Woodroofe said a “fault with a cable had caused a power surge that took down security systems and baggage screening”. The cable fault led to a power surge that disabled critical airport systems, grounding flights and causing passenger delays.
Impact on Operations
Mr. Woodroofe said: “When Terminal 1 and 2 can’t depart passengers for an entire morning there is going to be an impact.” The morning-long shutdown of Terminals 1 and 2 significantly disrupted airport operations, leading to a backlog of flights and delayed schedules.
Apologies and Future Precautions
Chris Woodroofe expressed regret for the disruption, stating, “I’m really sorry that happened and we’re now making sure as we look forward, that impact doesn’t carry on into tomorrow.” The airport is working to ensure such disruptions do not extend into the following days, with efforts to reschedule flights and manage affected passengers.
Investigation and Preventive Measures
An investigation into what happened would take place in the coming week, aiming to identify the root cause and prevent future occurrences. The investigation will focus on the cable fault and associated power surge, with the goal of enhancing airport infrastructure reliability.
Manchester Airport flights resume after power cut disorder, affecting up to 90,000 passengers. Chris Woodroofe said: “I’m really sorry that happened and we’re now making sure as we look forward, that impact doesn’t carry on into tomorrow.
