A power outage resulted in the cancellation of 437 flights within Portugal.
Air Traffic Woes Across Portuguese Airports
The recent power outage in Portugal brought chaos to various airports, with the Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon being hit the hardest. Over 348 flights were cancelled, leaving 66,000 passengers stranded. The Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport in Porto saw 60 flights cancellation, affecting 7,000 travelers, while Gago Coutinho Airport in Faro had 29 flights cancelled, impacting more than 5,000 individuals[1]. The disruptions at island airports were fortunately minor.
Both NAV, the air traffic services manager, and ANA, the airport infrastructure manager, maintained their services uninterrupted throughout. In response, the regulatory body, ANAC, suggests reviewing contracts with telecom service providers and developing specific contingency plans for energy and communication failures applicable to all airports, airlines, air traffic control, ground handling companies, and suppliers of on-board and airport supplies[1].
Other recommendations by ANAC include joint simulations for technological and energy failures, prioritizing electrical power from independent sources, and continuous training for staff focusing on such failures. Furthermore, awareness-raising and passenger information campaigns are advised to educate travelers on what to do during an energy or technological crisis[1].
In the wake of the power outage, ANAC, ANACOM (National Communications Authority), and IMT (Institute of Mobility and Transport) have submitted reports detailing the impact of the crisis in each sector. The reports provide a set of recommendations and measures, some short-term and others structural, with the common goal of enhancing crisis scenario response[2].
According to related information, a recent power outage in Portugal disrupted 437 flights, prompting the need for contingency planning to manage such events[3]. In other critical sectors, post-blackout recovery recommendations include revising telecom contracts, creating contingency plans for power and communication failures, and conducting joint emergency drills, which can be adapted to airport management strategies[1].
When crafting recommendations for airports, ANAC might consider incorporating these general strategies:
- Detailed Contingency Plans: Create comprehensive plans for power and communication failures, including backup systems and emergency drills.
- Resilient Infrastructure: Invest in robust infrastructure to minimize the impact of technology and energy failures.
- Collaborative Approach: Encourage collaboration with other sectors to exchange best practices and resources during crisis scenarios.
- Amidst the ongoing discussions about improving airport preparedness, ANAC suggests incorporating detailed contingency plans in response to power and communication failures, similar to the strategies suggested for critical sectors following the recent power outage in Portugal.
- Due to the potential large-scale disruptions caused by power outages like the one in Portugal, it's essential for Portuguese airports to invest in resilient infrastructure to minimize the impacts of technology and energy failures.
- Additionally, fostering collaboration amongst airports, airlines, air traffic control, ground handling companies, and suppliers during crisis scenarios could help ensure a smoother transition to contingency plans in the future.
