Thousands of passengers are facing delays and flight cancellations at Manchester Airport following a power failure that brought the main UK airport to a stop.
The airport, #manairport, confirmed this in a statement on Sunday.
The two-phase update was called “Information for Passengers Power Outage: Update.”
Management of the Manchester Airport said the main affected buildings were Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 and that Terminal 3 was still running, but that there could be delays.
“Following the power cut that affected Manchester Airport and the surrounding area earlier this morning, passengers due to travel from Terminals 1 and 2 are advised to contact their airlines before coming to the airport as a number of flights are likely to be cancelled.
“Power has been restored and we are working to get those passengers already at the airport onto flights as soon as possible.
“We apologise for the inconvenience this has caused. Our customer service and resilience teams are working hard to keep passengers in the airport updated, along with our airline colleagues.
“Passengers flying from Terminal 3 should come to the airport as usual, although flights are subject to some delays,” it read.
According to the statement, all passengers are advised to contact their airlines for updated information before coming to the airport.
“Passengers due to travel from Terminals 1 or 2 today are advised to contact their airlines for up-to- date information before coming to the airport.
“Passengers due to fly from Terminal 3 should come to the airport as normal unless advised otherwise by their airline but could be affected by delays.
“We apologise for any inconvenience and aim to restore normal service as soon as possible.”
The incident has triggered outrage on social media.
One person wrote, “Utter disgrace, the airport should have backup systems/generators for this sort of scenario. Expect the unexpected.
“In general, this airport is a shambles and needs major investment. I don’t see how a power cut causes a toilet blockage across T1. Management should resign.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Manchester Airport said, “A significant number of flights today are likely to be cancelled.
“The advice is for passengers expecting to travel today not to come to the airport without having checked with their airline first.”