Power outage at London's Stansted Airport causes travel chaos

Travel turmoil has unfolded at London's Stansted Airport due to a sweeping power failure that resulted in passenger delays and widespread confusion.

On Sunday, the airport said in a statement on X, that it experienced "a brief power outage" in the terminal and train station.

Although power has been restored, the airport said it was still experiencing "some ongoing disruption".

The statement also advised passengers to check the status of their flights with their airlines and whether train services to and from the airport were operating.

Rail operator Greater Anglia said in a statement on its website, that the power outage "caused the fire alarms to activate and the signalling to fail." This resulted in an evacuation.

"Network Rail have been able to recover the signalling systems, but the railway station remains closed for safety reasons," it said.

Ongoing travel chaos

The situation sparked outrage on social media as passengers complained of long queues for passport control, being stuck on planes that had landed, and a general lack of information or updates.

Throughout the summer, air travellers have grappled with an array of setbacks, stemming from labour strikes, inadequate staffing and weather disturbances.

Just last month, thousands of travellers flying to and from London Gatwick found themselves stranded.

Approximately 70 flights were cancelled, with the chaos being attributed to a shortage of staff in the airport control tower and disruptive weather conditions.