Flights departing from Manchester Airport’s Terminals 1 and 2 have been heavily impacted by a "major" power cut, causing significant disruptions.
The airport operator announced that a substantial number of flights are expected to be delayed or canceled throughout the day.
In a statement released at 06:30 BST, the airport detailed that the power outage, which occurred in the early hours of the morning, led to "widespread disruption." This has particularly affected flights from Terminals 1 and 2, with several cancellations already confirmed and more anticipated.
Passengers scheduled to fly from Terminal 3 have been advised to proceed to the airport as usual unless instructed otherwise by their airline, though they may still experience delays.
An airport spokesperson emphasized that efforts are being made to prioritize passengers already at the airport as they work through the backlog caused by the outage. The disruption coincides with the start of the summer holiday season at the UK's third-busiest airport.
An airport source described the power cut as having "literally knocked everything off," affecting not only the airport but also surrounding businesses, including major logistics firms.
Bobbi Hadgraft, who was traveling to watch England at Euro 2024, shared her experience with BBC Radio Manchester. She arrived at the airport around 04:00 BST to find "enormous queues" outside Terminal 1. She reported that display boards and scanners were down, forcing staff to manually direct passengers.
Many travelers have taken to social media to express frustration over long queues for check-in desks and passport control, as well as the lack of communication from airport staff amid the "chaos." Pictures and videos show long lines of people, some waiting in near darkness.
The airport confirmed that the power cut occurred at approximately 01:30 BST but has since been resolved. However, restoring and rebooting systems is expected to take some time. Passengers are urged to contact their airlines before traveling to the airport. Photo by Manchester Airport Terminal 1 by David Dixon, Wikimedia commons.