Barcelona-El Prat Airport suffers major disruption after control tower power outage

A power outage in the main control tower at Barcelona-El Prat Airport caused significant disruptions to air traffic on Wednesday. The failure affected radar screens, flight plan displays, voice communication systems, and meteorological information. While Aena reported the incident lasted approximately 15 minutes, air traffic controllers stated the disruption lasted about an hour and a half, forcing them to manage flights manually using “pencil and paper.”

The outage resulted in 10 diverted flights, 24 cancellations, and 224 delayed flights. Ryanair reported that approximately 6,000 of its passengers were affected by the incident. The disruption occurred during the peak summer season, impacting connections and regional tourism.

The Unión Sindical de Controladores Aéreos (USCA) has demanded a formal investigation to determine responsibilities and prevent future occurrences, stating it is “unacceptable” for a major European airport tower to lose power for such a duration. Enaire has maintained that safety protocols were successfully upheld during the incident.