Barcelona Airport. Photo: SHUTTERSTOCK Operations at Barcelona-El Prat Airport were temporarily disrupted on Wednesday, August 12, after an electrical failure affected the power supply to the airport’s control tower.
Spain’s airport operator Aena said the incident was already being resolved, but advised passengers to check directly with their airlines for the latest flight information.
Air traffic controllers reported that takeoffs and landings were suspended for around 15 minutes, while incoming aircraft were temporarily held. The disruption was introduced as a safety precaution while the airport addressed the electrical issue.
Operations subsequently began restarting, although delays affected a number of flights as the airport worked to return to normal operations.
The incident comes during an already busy summer period at Barcelona-El Prat. The airport is also dealing with an ongoing Groundforce ground-handling strike, which began on August 4 and has the potential to cause additional delays and disruption for passengers through the peak travel season.
Passengers traveling through Barcelona are therefore advised to check their flight status with their airline before heading to the airport and allow additional time for their journey.
The electrical failure was limited to the airport’s control-tower power supply, and there is no indication from the available reports of a wider airport closure.