Chaos at Spanish and Portuguese airports following mass power outage  

Widespread travel chaos unfolded at airports across the Iberian Peninsula as power networks across Spain and Portugal failed, bringing both countries to a standstill. Not only was aviation affected, with public transport and transport infrastructure, domestic and commercial customers, and widespread access to the internet all said to have been significantly affected by the outage.

There has been no official word as to the cause of the outage. The power failure was first reported at just after 13:00 local time on April 28, 2025, in both Spain and Portugal, although it is understood that the Balearic and Canary Islands, and Madeira remained unaffected by the blackout.   

As a result of the mass power failure, it was understood that a ground stop to all airline departures has been ordered at several airports across the region, including Lisbon, Madrid, and Barcelona airports, where all departing flights were grounded until the issue was resolved.

Expose / ShutterstockAt Lisbon Airport (LIS), there was a zero rate for arrivals to avoid overcrowding in the already packed terminals. At Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN), the arrivals landing rate was reduced by 50%, whereas at Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD), the arrivals landing rate was reduced by up to 60%.

Portuguese carrier TAP Air Portugal said: “Due to the power cut in several European countries, the operation of airports is temporarily very limited. TAP requests that you do not go to the airport until further information.” Lisbon Airport reportedly told passengers to leave and contact their airline provider, although the airport did not provide an update on the cause of the outage.

Aena, which manages the largest airports in Spain, posted on its social media channels that, “Due to the power outage, some incidents are occurring at Spanish airports. Contingency generators are active. Check with your airline, as there may be issues with access and ground transportation.”

“Power has not yet been restored to Barajas Airport,” El Mundo says. The airport handled 66.2 million passengers in 2024, making it the busiest air travel gateway in Spain.

Bestravelvideo / ShutterstockWhile some of the airports affected by the power failure were able to partially restore power supplies through the use of onsite generators, the power failure caused significant disruption to aviation, due to the knock-on effects of flight delays and cancellations.

Spanish airport operator Aena said: “Due to the power outage, some incidents are occurring at the airports. Contingency generators are active. Please check with your airline, as there may be disruptions to access and ground transportation.”

The cause of the Spain power outage on April 28, 2025, is still under investigation by the national electricity supply company Red Eléctrica. It said the outage has affected major cities, disrupting transport and communication, with metro systems being evacuated as a safety precaution.

According to Reuters, the Spanish and Portuguese governments both convened emergency cabinet meetings after the outage, which also briefly affected a part of France (Andorra), which borders northeastern Spain.

JJFarq / ShutterstockMeanwhile, Portugal’s utility REN confirmed a cut in electricity across the Iberian Peninsula that also affected part of France, while Spanish grid operator Red Electrica said it was working with regional energy companies to restore power across the country. “All plans for the phased restoration of energy supply are being activated, in coordination with European energy producers and operators,” a REN spokesperson said.

“REN is in permanent contact with official entities, namely the National Civil Protection Authority. At the same time, the possible causes of this incident are being assessed.”

The incident comes just weeks after Europe’s busiest international airport at London-Heathrow (LHR), was closed for almost 24 hours following a major electrical failure caused by a fire in a local substation. In that case, it took several days for operations to return to normal, with aircraft, crews, and passengers all displaced by the event.

April 29, 2025, 07:48 (UTC +3)
As of 07:00 GMT on Tuesday, April 29, 2024, operations at Madrid-Barajas Airport have largely returned to normal with just a few departing flights suffering from minimal delays. Flights at Barcelona-El Prat Airport appear to be back to operating normally. Meanwhile, ongoing delays and cancellations prevail at Lisbon Airport, while at Porto Airport, a few flights are showing as cancelled or delayed.

On the whole, the situation appears to be recovering at all airports across Spain and Portugal as power is gradually restored following the mass electrical outage of April 28, 2025.

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