Overview
- A bushfire in the Perth Hills damaged powerlines that feed Perth Airport and caused a loss of electricity that disrupted terminal systems, including baggage handling and check-in, producing major passenger delays.
- Perth Airport said services are progressively returning across terminals but warned travellers to expect ongoing delays and showed departures and arrivals with cancellations or holdovers.
- Western Power said its crews are working with DFES to restore supply and its outage page gave an estimated restoration time of about 7:30pm while repairs and safety checks continue.
- The Department of Fire and Emergency Services described the blaze as suspicious, issued Watch-and-Act and danger-to-life warnings, closed local roads and told residents not to return because of fallen trees and downed powerlines.
- The incident highlights how wildfire damage to distribution lines can quickly halt critical airport systems, prolong travel disruption and create safety hazards for nearby communities as containment and repairs proceed.