BREAKING: Massive Power Outage Hits Spain and Portugal, Disrupting Airport Operations

Iberian Peninsula tracked via AirNavRadar.com

A massive power outage struck Spain, Portugal, and parts of France late Monday morning, April 28, 2025, causing widespread disruption across the Iberian Peninsula. The outage has severely impacted transportation systems, including major airports, metro services, and communications infrastructure.

Airports across the region have been forced to implement traffic regulations, leading to delays and cancellations:

1. Lisbon Airport (LIS): A "zero rate" for arrivals was issued, meaning no incoming flights are currently permitted. The airport has announced a reduced landing rate, starting at 2:30 p.m. local time.

2. Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD): Spain’s busiest airport is operating at a significantly reduced arrival rate, with only 20 landings permitted per hour instead of the typical 60. Local media outlet El Mundo reports that power at the airport has not yet been restored.

3. Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN): Arrivals have been reduced by 50%, resulting in substantial delays for both domestic and international flights.

According to Spanish media, major metro systems were also impacted, with some passengers evacuated from underground trains. Communication networks have experienced widespread outages, further complicating recovery efforts.

Today has been a busy and challenging day for airports across the Iberian Peninsula, with a significant number of flight delays and cancellations recorded. Here's a look at the latest updates:

1. General Humberto Delgado Airport (Lisbon)

Lisbon’s main airport is experiencing a considerable number of delays and cancellations today:

• Total delays: 125

  1. 83 delays from Lisbon (departures)

  2. 42 delays to Lisbon (arrivals)

• Total cancellations: 128

  1. 68 cancellations from Lisbon (departing flights)

  2. 60 cancellations to Lisbon (arriving flights)

2. Barcelona–El Prat International Airport

Barcelona is also seeing a high volume of delays and cancellations:

• Total delays: 331

  1. 168 delays from Barcelona (departures)

  2. 163 delays to Barcelona (arrivals)

• Total cancellations: 54

  1. 27 cancellations from Barcelona (departing flights)

  2. 27 cancellations to Barcelona (arrivals)

3. Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport

Madrid's airport is experiencing the highest number of delays today:

• Total delays: 465

  1. 259 delays from Madrid (departures)

  2. 206 delays to Madrid (arrivals)

• Total cancellations: 41

  1. 19 cancellations from Madrid (departing flights)

  2. 22 cancellations to Madrid (arriving flights)

4. Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport (Porto/Oporto)

Porto’s main airport is experiencing a significant number of delays and cancellations today:

Total delays: 121

1. 67 delays from Porto (departures)

2. 54 delays to Porto (arrivals)

Total cancellations: 30

1. 14 cancellations from Porto (departing flights)

2. 16 cancellations to Porto (arriving flights)

Red Eléctrica, the company responsible for Spain’s electrical grid, has stated that the cause of the blackout is still under investigation. Partial power restoration is underway, but full operational status across the region may take additional time.

April 21 (Monday, last week) vs Today (April 28) at 17:49 UTC) 

This is a developing story. We will update as more information becomes available.

Updates

Update 1

Update 2

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