Overview
- The power surge that hit Stansted Airport and the surrounding Essex area on Sunday temporarily knocked offline security screening, baggage handling, passport control and the internal automated shuttle.
- Passengers reported hours-long queues and crowded terminals, with social media photos showing hundreds stranded inside the building and some travellers saying announcements and staff communication were slow.
- Some hold luggage was not loaded during manual handling attempts, with at least one Ryanair flight reported to have missing bags that passengers only discovered on arrival in Prague.
- Operational teams deployed replacement shuttle buses for the transit train, handled baggage enquiries and, according to flight-tracking data, the disruption contributed to about 250 delays and six cancellations on Sunday.
- Stansted says most systems are back in service but security and baggage are still below full capacity as engineers continue recovery work, raising questions about backup power, contingency plans and how the airport will support affected travellers.