BIG flight backlog hits travelers after airport chaos
Perth Airport is in chaos after desperately trying to recover from a total blackout due to a severe storm that criss-crossed the State.
The flights are already running but there is a huge backlog with passengers trying to get through security.
Hundreds of people with high vision were in Terminal 2 as regional flights took off. The line to pass through security is almost out the door as people race to make their flights on time.
Terminal 1 is less chaotic, almost like a ghost town, as some flights are still cancelled.
An airport spokesman said the terminals were “fully operational” as of 10pm last night, but the after effects of the impact could still be felt.
Perth Airport has announced a thorough review of its backup power system in light of the power outage.
While the backup power for the critical runway was turned on, the terminal went into chaos as the backup power failed to turn on.
Chief executive Kevin Brown said a review would begin soon to understand why parts of the backup generation system were not being used.
“We apologize for the inconvenience this power outage has caused to passengers and we thank them for their patience and understanding that we are dealing with a unique and challenging weather event,” he said.
“Backup generation systems for critical safety systems such as runway lighting are functioning as intended, meaning that aircraft can continue to land safely throughout the event.
“Another part of the backup generation system that provides power to the terminal is not functioning as it should.
“We need to understand why it happened.
Thousands of passengers were disrupted overnight with dozens of flights delayed or cancelled.
The airport told its passengers to go home and declared all flights canceled due to power outages “out of their control”, but at 8pm on Tuesday, changed their minds.
“With critical services back online, Perth Airport can now process some passengers through the exit security process,” said a statement.
“However, it will take time to complete the pending service backlog.”
As of 10 p.m., the airport said it was working to get its systems across its terminals fully operational following delays and cancellations across the airline network.
Passengers are warned that some airlines may still decide to cancel and reschedule flights. “We ask passengers to continue to be patient as our team and our airline partners are working to get the flight going,” the airport said.
Tourists are left sitting in the dark with only torches to light their way.
The violent storm that hit Perth cut off all electricity at the airport which some experienced staff had never seen before.
Disgruntled passengers struggled with freshly unloaded luggage as strong winds and rain lashed them as they left the airport to catch a taxi.
Perth Airport announced the news at around 5:15 p.m., warning that the blackout would result in lengthy delays over the next two hours.
The airport apologized to passengers, some of whom were found stranded at other airports because they could not land in Perth.
“The safety of everyone working or traveling through our airport remains our top priority,” the airport said.
“We apologize to our passengers and customers for the inconvenience.”
Perth Airport said the decision to cancel flights the night before was made on advice from Western Power.
“Perth Airport has made the decision to suspend all outbound services currently scheduled to depart before 7:30pm,” the statement said.
“All incoming flights en route will be able to arrive safely. All scheduled flights to Perth that have not departed will be postponed until further notice.”
Hundreds of people were still huddled around the baggage carousel at 7:30 p.m. waiting for baggage to be unloaded from the plane.
Passengers at Qantas terminals are reminded to remain patient while “technical issues” prevent people from rebooking flights, as staff distribute water and chips to affected travelers.
A team in Sydney is currently working to “uncheck” passengers so flights can be rebooked. “Please be patient and go home, reorder from home as I have been told the delay could take up to another two hours,” the staff announced.
Qantas passengers Angela and Han Nguyen hope to fly to Sydney for a three-day work event.
Nguyen, who is pregnant, said around 3pm they learned of the flight delay.
“We were sitting in the lounge upstairs getting a notification from staff that it was out of their control and they had no idea what was going on,” he said.
“Staff who worked for 20 years told us they had never seen anything like it.”
While “disappointed”, the couple said they were happy they were able to return to their Attadale home.
The lights came back on shortly before 7pm.
Passengers were told to leave as soon as their bags were collected and visitors to Perth were told to find their own accommodation. The car park was packed, as people were waiting to be picked up by the transport service.
Melbourne woman Caren Vidler said she didn’t know what to do as she frantically tried to find a bed for the night.
He was on his way to London when he was stopped at immigration and told his flight was cancelled.
“I’m going to watch some friends who are divers compete in the Commonwealth Games,” he said.
“I’d be heartbroken if I couldn’t watch them, this is the whole point of my trip.”
“I’ve never experienced this before, I don’t know anyone in Perth… I’m going to need a bed for the night.”
Western Power said emergency crews were hard at work in difficult conditions to restore power in Perth.
“The destructive and destructive winds associated with the front have thrown debris, including tree branches, into the grid, damaging equipment and collapsing power lines,” a spokesman said.
“Our priority during hurricanes is responding to reported hazards to ensure the safety of the public and our crew.
“Our network operations team is working to isolate the faulty part of the network and provide feedback where possible to restore power where it is safe to do so.”
It comes as Perth braces for more destructive winds that will ravage the State after thousands of people were left without power and property damaged overnight.
As of Tuesday night, 11,000 homes in Perth and South West remained without power.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued severe weather warnings for Goldfields, Eucla, Lower West, South West, South Coastal, South East Coastal, Great Southern, Central Wheat Belt and parts of Gascoyne, South Interior and Central West districts.
A strong wind warning also applies to Melville Waters and Gascoyne Coast.
These winds are expected to continue until dawn on Wednesday and the Bureau has warned that gusts of wind could cause damage to homes and property, especially along the coast and nearby inland, becoming more isolated further inland.
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