Power Outage at Manchester Airport Disrupts Over 90,000 Travelers

A major power outage at Manchester Airport led to chaos on Sunday, affecting over 90,000 passengers. Flights were grounded, and arrivals were diverted. By Sunday afternoon, numerous flights had been cancelled, and the airport struggled with baggage handling issues.

Manchester Airport Fault Disrupts Thousands

Early on Sunday, Manchester Airport experienced a severe electrical fault, causing a power surge that disrupted operations, particularly security and baggage screening processes. 

This incident resulted in the cancellation of 66 outbound flights, which is 25% of all departures, and 50 incoming flights, or 18% of all arrivals, were redirected to other UK airports.

According to BBC, passengers faced long lines and significant delays throughout the day. Social media was flooded with images of overcrowded terminals and luggage piling up. Some travelers reported that their baggage failed to be loaded onto their planes, adding to the frustration.

By 7:30 PM, airport officials announced that flights had resumed. However, they also stated that an investigation into the outage would be conducted to prevent future incidents. 

Chris Woodroofe, the managing director of Manchester Airport, apologized for the inconvenience and assured that efforts were being made to minimize further impact.

The largest number of flight cancellations was from EasyJet, which described the delays as beyond their control and expressed commitment to reducing the disruption's effects. 

Additionally, international flights, including those from Singapore Airlines and Etihad Airways, were forced to land at airports in London and Birmingham instead of Manchester.

The airport confirmed that the disruption stemmed from a cable fault, which had unexpectedly impacted the power system. As the airport returns to normal operations, airline representatives are reaching out to affected travelers to arrange alternative flights and accommodations.

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Apologizes for Major Disruption

Manchester Airport faced significant disruptions after a power outage early Sunday affected its operations. The managing director, Chris Woodroofe, expressed deep regret over the incident, which impacted thousands of passengers.

By midday, Manchester Airport had cancelled 25% of its outgoing flights and 18% of incoming flights, affecting a total of 66 outbound and 50 inbound journeys. 

The source of the problem was identified as a cable fault that caused a power surge, leading to the shutdown of security systems and baggage screening processes.

The Standard reports Woodroofe stated that the power cut had halted all morning departures from terminals 1 and 2, creating large queues and chaos. He apologized for the inconvenience and assured that an investigation into the cause of the outage was forthcoming to prevent future incidents.

Passengers traveling from terminal 3 experienced fewer issues, although some early flights were delayed. 

EasyJet, operating primarily from terminal 1, reported severe delays, with passengers only able to board with hand luggage due to issues with baggage handling.

Manchester Airport has been working closely with airlines to minimize the disruption and manage the flow of passengers. Woodroofe reiterated the airport's commitment to resolving the issues swiftly and preventing further impact on travelers.

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