Summary
Flights out of Terminals 1 and 2 at Manchester Airport have been cancelled and delayed after a "significant power cut"
The airport has since said check-in and departures for flights have now fully resumed
People were told to stay away from the airport's two main terminals after an outage in the early hours
Large queues have formed inside the airport, which is the UK's largest outside London
Virgin Atlantic, Jet2 and EasyJet are three of the airlines impacted by the disruption
The airport told the BBC inbound flights were diverted because “planes can’t take off” due to limited space
Live Reporting
Edited by Jack Burgess
Jet2 cancels all remaining flights from Manchester todaypublished at 15:45 23 June
15:45 23 June
Image source, Getty ImagesIn a series of posts on X, external, formerly called Twitter, Jet2 has said that due to the earlier power outage it "regrettably has no choice but to cancel all remaining flights departing from Manchester Airport today".
The airline says it has contacted all affected customers to let them know their options and they will receive a full refund if they wish.
Quote Message
We are extremely sorry to have to take this decision, however the disruption left us with no choice."
Jet2
Customers due to travel with Jet2 should carry on checking the latest information on the airline's website.
Manchester Airport expects flights to restart later todaypublished at 15:30 23 June
15:30 23 JuneBreaking
In a post on X, external, formerly called Twitter, Manchester Airport has said:
Quote Message
We are now in the process of resuming operations and expect flights to restart during the remainder of this afternoon and evening."
The airport also says "it remains important that passengers check with their airlines before travelling to the airport".
"We are also working closely with airlines to reschedule cancelled flights in the coming days," it adds.
The airport also says "flights scheduled for tomorrow should be unaffected and passengers due to travel should plan to come to the airport as usual".
Return to the latest post
Watch: Video shows Manchester Airport terminal in darkness as passengers describe chaotic scenespublished at 15:12 23 June
15:12 23 June
Footage filmed at Manchester Airport shows crowds engulfed in darkness after a large power cut in the area.
One passenger has described seeing people climbing over one another.
You can watch what this person had to say in the short video above.
What are my rights if my flight is cancelled?published at 15:00 23 June
15:00 23 June
Image source, Getty ImagesIf you're unlucky enough to have your flight cancelled or delayed today, here's some information that should be useful:
- If your flight is cancelled, your airline must let you choose between either getting a refund or being booked on an alternative flight - that's if your flight is covered by UK law
- If stuck abroad or at the airport because of a cancellation, airlines must provide you with assistance until you are able to fly. This includes food and drink and free accommodation if you have to stay overnight to fly the next day
- You are entitled to the same assistance if your flight is delayed by more than two hours. Also, you may be able to claim compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late
Read more here for a complete guide to your rights
Tui issues update for customerspublished at 14:43 23 June
14:43 23 June
Simon Browning
Business correspondentThe airline Tui has issued a statement saying that it has taken the "difficult decision" to delay four flights for 24 hours due to the ongoing disruption, apologising to all those affected.
The following flights will now depart on Monday 24 June and customers have been offered a one-day "pro rata" refund:
- TOM 2708 to Kefalonia, Greece
- TOM 2750 to Faro, Portugal
- TOM 2770 to Dubrovnik, Croatia
- TOM 2730 to Paphos, Cyprus
Customers should have been contacted directly with their new flight times and told when to arrive at the airport on Monday.
"We’re doing everything we can to get customers on holiday and no Tui flight has been cancelled," a spokesperson has said.
All other Tui flights from Manchester Airport are due to depart today.
It has also apologised to passengers who took off from the airport this morning without any bags, saying:
"This was due to the baggage system at Manchester Airport being inoperable. Our team is doing everything they can to reunite passengers with their baggage."
In pictures: What's the scene like at Manchester Airport right now?published at 14:30 23 June
14:30 23 June
For those of you just joining us, several flights out of Terminals 1 and 2 at Manchester Airport have been cancelled after a "significant power cut" this morning. There have been significant disruptions and passengers are queueing outside the airport.
Here is how Manchester Airport's Terminal 1 looks right now:
EasyJet sees largest number of cancellationspublished at 14:18 23 June
14:18 23 June
In these situations, it can be difficult to pin down the number of cancellations and delays as things are constantly changing on the ground.
But aviation analytics firm Cirium has just told us that as of 13:00 today:
- 66 departures from Manchester Airport have been cancelled today alone (25% of all departures)
- 50 inbound flights have also been cancelled - just under 20% of all arrivals
- EasyJet has seen the largest number of cancellations
As mentioned, these figures are subject to change, but we'll continue to bring you all the latest updates and advice on what to do if you've been affected.
Operations 'back to normal' by tomorrow, airport boss says in apology videopublished at 14:15 23 June
14:15 23 June
Image source, TwitterManchester Airport has just released a video message from its managing director who starts out by offering a "sincere" and "personal" apology to all those passengers affected by disruptions today.
Chris Woodroofe begins by explaining that the airport experienced a "big power spike in our electrical system", which he attributes to a failureearlier on this morning.
"That’s damaged some really key equipment for ourdepartures security and our departures baggage systems," the Manchester Airport managing director goes on to say.
That's meant that flights from Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 have not been able to take off, but it has also caused issues with arrivals because there's less space for planes to park on the airfield, he adds.
He says that the airport is working with the airlines to rebook passengers on other flights.
"It's a very difficult situation, I couldn't be more sorry," he says, adding that the "good news" is that they expect the situation to be resolved over this afternoon and evening, with operations "back to normal" by tomorrow.
‘I’m just trying to get to the England game’published at 13:57 23 June
13:57 23 June
Bobbi Hadgraft
BBCReporting on a day off - I’d hoped to have been in Amsterdam for a few hours already, a scenic route to Cologne for the England game on Tuesday.
Instead, I find myself on a train to Edinburgh. Didn’t expect that when I woke up at 03:00 BST this morning.
As a frequent flier from Manchester Airport, I’ve never seen scenes like it. Queues streaming out of Terminal 1, manual checks on our boarding passes at security and boarding a plane only to be asked to get back off again.
I’ve spoken to a number of fellow passengers, now rerouting from various UK airports from London to Birmingham.
For us, it’s a night in the Scottish capital and a flight direct to the city hosting England’s final group game of Euro 2024.
I hope it’s worth the trains, planes and automobiles.
When will flights take off again?published at 13:50 23 June
13:50 23 June
As a reminder, Manchester Airport has advised any passengers with flights out of Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 not to come to the airport today, as flights departing from those terminals have been cancelled "until further notice".
Power has been restored after a big power cut in the early hours of this morning, but important systems used for boarding cards and baggage have been affected.
It's unclear when flights will be taking off again from those terminals, but those passengers due to travel from Terminal 3 should come to the airport as normal unless they've been told otherwise by their airline.
Those flights may still be affected by delays, too.
How many flights have been cancelled?published at 13:45 23 June
13:45 23 June
Simon Browning
Business correspondentThe disruption at Manchester Airport had seen cancellations "in the 10s", the airport said this morning.
But as the day has progressed, there have now been more than 60 flights cancelled from the airport, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar, external, while nearly 80 have been delayed.
An airport spokesperson told the BBC earlier on Sunday that there are also inbound diversions because "planes can’t take off", as there is limited space at the airport. This makes it harder to accept aircraft, meaning they will be sent elsewhere.
The power outage has caused major problems, especially for baggage processing within the airport which has been badly impacted.
Jet2, one of the airlines impacted by the disruption, is advising passengers that it has been unable to load bags on to aircraft as the baggage system at the airport remains inoperable and it will do its best to reunite passengers with their luggage.
Airports are very finely tuned operations, with intricate flow models that work at close to maximum efficiency - so when a problem happens, there is little bandwidth and systems back up very quickly.
What do we know so far?published at 13:42 23 June
13:42 23 June
Image source, ReutersAs we keep you up to date with the latest out of Manchester Airport, here's a quick summary of what's been going on:
- Flights departing from Terminals 1 and 2 have been cancelled "until further notice", an airport spokesman said
- Any passengers with flights out of either terminal should not come to the airport, and those already there will be prioritised
- A "significant power cut" is the cause of the widespread disruption, and it's impacting baggage and security systems
- Passengers flying out from Terminal 3 should go to the airport but could face delays, and inbound flights have been diverted
- Large queues have formed outside the airport, which is the UK's third-busiest airport and the largest outside of London
- Some airlines have told customers they can only board with a cabin bag due to problems with the baggage system
- Virgin Atlantic, Jet2 and EasyJet are three of the airlines impacted by the disruption
Stay with us as we continue to bring you some more updates about the situation for passengers at the airport.
Holidays disrupted after major outage at Manchester Airport grounds flightspublished at 13:35 23 June
13:35 23 June
Good afternoon and welcome to our live coverage of a major power outage at Manchester Airport with flights out of the two main terminals cancelled "until further notice".
Passengers travelling through Terminals 1 and 2 have been told to stay away after the outage hit in the early hours, affecting baggage and security systems.
An airport spokesman said all flights from those terminals have been cancelled "until further notice".
Large queues have formed inside the airport, which is the UK's largest outside London, and more than 10 outbound flights have already been cancelled and inbound flights diverted.
We've got correspondents at the airport covering the latest and we will continue to bring you updates as we get them on this developing story. Hold tight as we bring you those in the next few posts.
