Power restored at Denver airport after Xcel outage, travelers still impacted

DENVER (KDVR) — Airport operations are beginning to resume after a power outage at the Denver International Airport was impacting hundreds of travelers on Wednesday, and a ground stop was in effect.

The airport said in a post that the power outage started around 9:20 a.m., and certain areas of the airport were still experiencing outages as of 10 a.m. Just after 11 a.m., the airport said power was restored and airport operations were resumed to normal.

Xcel Energy, which serves DIA, told FOX31 that crews were in the process of energizing a new transformer at one of the two substations when a piece of equipment shut off, causing the power outage in part of the airport.

Though power was restored, many people reported continued crowding near trains and in the concourses, and flight delays continued to rise around noon.

This comes as a partial government shutdown means Transportation Security Administration officers do not get paid, and staffing is short as some don’t show to work with no pay. Additionally, this week is expected to be extra busy as spring break travel is underway.

Outage info, impacts

The outage was impacting the train from the main terminal to the gates, DIA said. Some users on X posted images showing packed boarding areas near the train stations.

A viewer told FOX31 that massive crowds occupied the train boarding areas and the upper levels of the A concourse, as people waited to get to the main terminal. They said things appeared to be improving around 11:15 a.m., as arriving flights were starting to de-plane.

Crowds stuck in the A Concourse as operations resume after a power outage was restored at the Denver International Airport on March 18, 2026. (Viewer photo)

Some users on X said they were not allowed to deboard planes during the outage, and others said they were not able to use restrooms. Some also said that several planes were parked on the taxiway waiting to get to gates.

One viewer told FOX31 that escalators were not working and trains were shut down, and travelers could not get from terminal to terminal. They said some stores had power, but can only accept cash payment.

Around 11 a.m., users said that power was on, though there were still large crowds of people, and bathrooms were hit or miss.

Flight impacts

According to flight tracking tool FlightAware, there were 96 flights delayed and 6 canceled as of 10 a.m. That increased to 258 delays by 11 a.m., and is up to 474 delays as of 1:30 p.m.

The airport said travelers should check with their airlines for information about the status of their flight, even after the power was restored.

Security lines

Security lines, according to the website, show wait times of around 5-10 minutes as of 1:30 p.m. The longest wait time during the outage was around 20 minutes.

Ground stop issued

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop for 9:54 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., meaning all flights departing to Denver were grounded due to the equipment outages. This applied to flights coming from traffic control areas covering most of the U.S., with the exception of the East Coast.

The airport said the ground stop was issued while technicians worked to restore power, and it has since been lifted.

Response

DIA said technicians were working to restore power as quickly as possible. It was restored around 11 a.m. Xcel said it was about to restore power within 45 minutes.

Xcel said the cause of the outage is still under investigation.

A spokesperson for DIA told FOX31 last year that the chances for power going out at the airport are very low thanks to backup power sources and infrastructure maintenance. But in the case that it does happen like it did Wednesday, the spokesperson said DIA’s “robust emergency response framework ensures that operational continuity plans are in place, allowing for swift response and coordination with stakeholders to maintain safety and minimize disruptions in the event of power loss.”

The spokespersons said the airport is equipped with backup generators and said there are two substations, offering a backup in case one shuts down.

Xcel said only one of the substations was impacted in this event, and the other substation wasn’t impacted and was able to partially serve the airport.

This article will continue to be updated as FOX31 learns more.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.