The incident, which occurred around 2 PM, forced the interruption of air operations, affecting thousands of passengers and leading to the diversion of ten flights. Aena reported that 100% of the power supply was restored by 3:30 PM, although normal operations gradually resumed.
Ryanair, one of the airlines with the largest presence at the airport, estimates that nearly 6,000 of its passengers experienced delays. Some travelers reported waiting over two hours inside their planes with minimal information provided over the PA system, leading to complaints on social media.
The airline has deemed the incident "unacceptable" and strongly criticized Enaire, the entity responsible for air navigation in Spain. Ryanair's Operations Director, Neal McMahon, lamented such a failure occurring during peak season and questioned Enaire's ability to maintain operational systems, including backup systems.
The breakdown occurs during one of the busiest periods for the airport, which recorded a record 5.8 million passengers in July. Operations have since normalized, but the incident marred a day of high visitor traffic.
