Manchester Airport Faces Major Disruption After Power Cut, Impacting 90,000 Passengers
Manchester Airport staff are working tirelessly to prevent the continuation of flight disruptions caused by a recent power cut. The power surge, resulting from a cable fault, led to the shutdown of security systems and baggage screening, affecting up to 90,000 passengers, according to managing director Chris Woodroofe.
From the early morning hours, flights from Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 were unable to take off, while some incoming flights had to be diverted. “When Terminal 1 and 2 can’t depart passengers for an entire morning there is going to be an impact,” Mr. Woodroofe stated. “I’m really sorry that happened and we’re now making sure, as we look forward, that impact doesn’t carry on into tomorrow.” An investigation into the incident is planned for the coming week.
Extensive Flight Cancellations and Long Queues
The disruption resulted in huge queues as a quarter of all flights from the airport had to be cancelled. Passengers traveling via Terminals 1 and 2 were advised to stay away. By lunchtime, aviation analytics company Cirium reported that 66 outbound flights and 50 inbound flights were cancelled.
The incident occurred at the start of the summer holiday season at the UK’s third-busiest airport, which has issued an apology to passengers. Kelvin Knaver from St Helens, Merseyside, was among those affected, having his EasyJet flight to Amsterdam canceled.
Social Media Outcry and Passenger Rights
Affected passengers posted on social media, sharing photos and videos of long queues at check-in desks and passport control, and complaining about the lack of communication from staff. Some images showed passengers waiting in near darkness.
Mr. Woodroofe confirmed that power had been restored but announced that there would be no departures from Terminals 1 and 2 for the rest of the day. Over 100 flights were scheduled to depart when the problems began, leading to numerous inbound flights being diverted due to limited space.
Airlines and Baggage Issues
The airport’s backup power system activated when the primary power failed, but multiple mains power cuts complicated the situation. Airlines reported baggage processing problems, allowing customers to board only with cabin bags. Jet2 stated that handlers couldn’t load bags onto planes, while EasyJet also restricted passengers to cabin bags only. Passengers flying via Terminal 3 were warned of potential delays.
Among the diverted flights, one arriving from Houston, Texas, was redirected to London Heathrow, and another from Singapore was forced to land at London Gatwick.
Manchester Airport is working to resolve the issues swiftly to avoid further disruptions and ensure a smoother experience for travelers.