News
Electrical failure paralyses El Prat and leaves dozens of flights delayed
Barcelona-El Prat airport is gradually returning to normal after an electrical failure in the control tower forced take-offs and landings to be temporarily halted this Wednesday. The fault has now been resolved, but its effects continue to cause major delays during the afternoon.
The incident occurred around midday and affected the power supply to the control tower. Aena reported at 14:18 that it was working to resolve the issue and asked travellers to check directly with their airlines for the status of their flights.
About an hour later, the airport had restored 100% of its electricity supply. However, rescheduling all pending flights is taking longer: landings have resumed with greater spacing between aircraft than usual, and delays have been accumulating.
A total of 1,124 operations were scheduled for the day, and at least ten flights had to be diverted during the incident. Dozens of connections have experienced delays, and some passengers have reported waiting more than two hours inside planes before being able to take off or disembark.
The problem comes at one of the busiest times of the year for El Prat. The airport closed July with a record 5.8 million passengers, 6% more than a year earlier, so any disruption during these weeks can cause delays lasting several hours.
The situation also coincides with the indefinite strike by Groundforce ground staff, which began on 4 August and had already been causing issues for some airlines. The combination adds pressure to an airport experiencing its peak summer demand.
Anyone planning to fly from Barcelona this Wednesday should check the status of their connection before heading to the airport and follow their airline's instructions. Although the electrical fault has been resolved, a full return to normal schedules will be gradual as El Prat absorbs the delays accumulated during the stoppage.