A power cut and then a surge of returning electricity damaged key infrastructure, say officials
A sudden power cut followed by a surge of returning electricity early this morning - possibly more than once - lays behind a day of travel chaos at Manchester Airport.
Power has since been restored but baggage and security systems are continuing to be affected. Airport officials were hoping that all systems would be working as normal by this evening although the knock-on effects could still be felt by airlines tomorrow. Passengers awaiting flights tonight are being urged to check with their airlines before turning up.
One key issue was that the power cut affected baggage handling and - more importantly - security, and unlike other areas of airport operation, there was no quick way to bypass the issue. Chris Woodroofe, Manchester Airport's managing director, said there had been "a big power spike" in the airport's electrical system due to "a failure".
The issue has left thousands of people facing delays and cancellations. In an update this lunchtime, the airport announced that all flights from Terminals 1 and 2 were being cancelled "until further notice".Passengers flying via Terminal 3 should go to the airport as normal "unless advised otherwise by their airline", an airport spokesperson said.
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