Which flights and airports have been affected by Spain's blackout?
Over 300 flights out of the 6,000 scheduled to and from Spain were cancelled on Monday due to the nationwide power outage and it is still having a knock-on effect on flights and airports on Tuesday.
Amazingly most flights to due arrive and depart from Spain yesterday managed to operate without issue, despite the blackout, as most of the major airports had backup generators.
Power has been restored to most of the country today and Airport operator AENA reported this morning that “all airports remain operational”.
If you’re due to fly today, however, or your flight was cancelled yesterday, here’s what you need to know.
READ ALSO: Is everything back to normal in Spain after the nationwide blackout?
AENA are recommending that “passengers check the status of public transportation services to airports and consult with their airline about the status of their flight” ahead of their journeys today.
There were around a dozen flights cancelled this morning from El Prat airport in Barcelona, but the majority are said to be on schedule.
Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport has also reportedly suffered some delays and cancellations this Tuesday. Many flight schedules were disrupted, particularly due to difficulties for passengers and crew reaching the airport.
There could also be changes to timings and schedules instead of cancellations, so it's important to check directly with your airline.
READ ALSO: Claim that Spain's blackout was caused by rare weather event debunked
There have been reports that Iberia has cancelled 23 of its 247 scheduled flights this Tuesday and is offering the option to rebook tickets for another time. Other news outlets, however, are reporting that the airline is operating as normal.
Iberia themselves haven’t listed cancelled flights, but have indicated that they will be prioritising long-haul connections today and that those will be fully operational. If you have any short haul flights it’s best to contact them to find out what’s happening.
On their website they said: “If you are travelling on April 28th or 29th to/from the Iberian Peninsula on flights operated by Iberia, Iberia Express, and Iberia Regional Air Nostrum, and you purchased your ticket directly on our websites or through Serviberia until April 28th, you can book any flight on the same route or up to 300 km away, until May 11th, 2025”.
Cancellations may include flights from Madrid to Bilbao, Barcelona, and Amsterdam, so if you’re flying to or from one of these destinations with Spain’s national carrier it’s worth checking with them first.
READ ALSO: Power restored to '99 percent' of mainland Spain after massive blackout
easyJet is also offering the option to exchange your ticket free of charge for a voucher or a ticket to fly within 72 hours. The budget airline has experienced some disruptions to its schedule and reportedly cancelled some flights to Madrid.
Air Europa has said it will operate flights as airport capacity allows, but warns that there could be delays. It also says that date changes are being made flexible to assist all passengers.
Budget airline Vueling posted on social media X, “Saying following the power outage this Monday that affected most of Spain and other European countries, our operations are progressively returning to normal. However, some of our flights may still be affected”.
“We continue working to minimise the impact on our customers”, they added. They are asking passengers to check the status of their flight via the following link.
Budget airline Ryanair has said “We are monitoring delays/cancellations for flights operating to/from Spain and Portugal. Affected passengers will be notified via email”. They also haven't posted a list of affected flights, but if yours has been affected then they will let you know beforehand.
Jet2 have put out a message on their website saying "Our teams have been closely monitoring the impact of this [the blackout], and at present, all Jet2.com flights are operating as normal today (29th April)".
They add that if there are any changes, they will provide further updates on their website and be in contact with passengers via SMS and email.
Flights between Brussels and Spain may also be affected. Several airlines have warned of possible disruptions due to the general strike in Belgium, but not due to the power outage.
thelocal
