Thousands of travelers find themselves stranded due to Lisbon airport's climate control issues.
Outside Humberto Delgado Airport, chaos reigned as thousands gathered by a shuttered metro station and a jam-packed highway. A police officer in the know informed Lusa that the airport's interior was cordoned off, opening its doors only for departing flight passengers and emergency situations.
Inside Terminal 1's departure area, a cluster of individuals huddled together, having entered before the power cuts kicked-in, awaiting their flights. A Public Security Police (PSP) officer elaborated that those who had already checked in would still be able to board their flights, irrespective of the network being back up and running.
David, a Polish resident, had a flight slated for 3:00 PM, but upon reaching the airport, he was met with a locked entrance. Gonçalo, a Portuguese citizen, too, had plans to decamp for Barcelona, but the airport lockdown nixed his departure.
"We could already see the lack of electricity, traffic was chaotic to begin with," Gonçalo recounted.
Ana, part of a quartet of parents bound for the Dominican Republic with four kids, had a flight scheduled for 2:30 PM, only to arrive at 12:00 PM when things began to grind to a halt. "We landed at Clock Roundabout, a damn mess," she summed up.
Whilst conversing with Lusa, the youngsters kept themselves amused with the meager resources on hand. "Since we were anticipating an eight-hour flight, we packed plenty of entertainment, which we're now putting to use," she quipped.
A common grievance among all passengers was the absence of updates from the airport or their respective airlines. A group of Irish women, whose flight had also been axed, shared the same sentiment. Lauren, one of them, disclosed that they initially intended to travel on three separate flights – two to Ireland and one to France.
Lauren observed that they narrowly missed shuffling into Terminal 2, as their friends on another flight to Dublin managed to get inside. "We're here for a bachelorette party, and now we're returning," she supplemented, adding a playful, "I'd even want to extend my stay another day."
Power supplier REN – Redes Energeticas Nacionais declared today a widespread blackout blanketing the Iberian Peninsula and parts of French territory. They are devising plans to gradually restore power. The blackout commenced at 11:30 AM Lisbon time.
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"The general news outlets have reported multiple car-accidents on the roads leading to Humberto Delgado Airport due to the power outage and chaos on the roads.
One of the confirmed cases involved Gonçalo, who was supposed to depart for Barcelona, but was unable to do so because of the airport lockdown.
Ana and her quartet of children, who were bound for the Dominican Republic, also faced similar issues as their flight was scheduled for 2:30 PM but was delayed due to the blackout.
With no updates from the airport or their respective airlines, passengers such as the Irish women, who had their flight axed, were left in the dark about their travel plans."
