Power outage, ground stop impacts flights at Denver International Airport during spring break travel
A power outage impacted train service to the gates and flights at Denver International Airport on Wednesday morning. According to airport officials, the airport experienced a power incident around 9:20 a.m., which then led to a ground stop.
Denver International Airport officials said power was restored at 11:04 a.m., nearly two hours after the initial outage. They said that operations would return to normal and asked for patience.
According to witness accounts from inside the airport, passengers were not allowed to board waiting planes, and power outages were impacting bathroom services.
Images from inside the airport showed crowds of people in limbo, waiting to either get to their gate at a train that wasn't working or waiting to board their plane.
A ground stop also prevented any flights from landing, which was listed as an "equipment failure" on the FAA's website. The ground stop ended at 11:30 a.m.
Airport officials said technicians worked as quickly as possible to restore power.
At the airport, passengers must board a train to get to their gate in concourses A, B or C. Passengers departing from gates in the A Concourse may walk to their gate from the Jeppesen Terminal, bypassing the train service.
The power outage comes during a period when there are more travelers at the airport for spring break. There are also some issues with long lines at security checkpoints across the U.S. due to TSA workers not being paid during a partial government shutdown.
According to airport officials, between last weekend and the upcoming weekend, there could be more than 80,000 people a day passing through Denver airport security, an increase attributed to spring break travel.
The airport urges travelers to arrive at least two hours before their flight departs at all times, regardless of the time of year. Travelers can check current wait times at FlyDenver.com.
