Widespread power outage hits Spain and Portugal – airports activate emergency generators

A massive power outage has struck large parts of Spain and Portugal, leaving millions without electricity. The effects of the disruption are even being felt as far north as southern France. While the exact cause of the blackout remains unclear, Portuguese authorities have stated they are not ruling out a possible cyberattack.

In major cities, metro services were severely affected, with some travellers becoming stranded in tunnels. One commuter described the chaotic scenes by saying, “My life feels like a movie.” Emergency services have been deployed to assist those trapped underground.

Spain’s airports are also experiencing difficulties due to the outage. According to airport operator AENA, several incidents have been reported at various airports, although emergency generators have now been activated to ensure basic operations continue.

On the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), AENA advised passengers to contact their airline for updates about specific flights. Travellers may face issues accessing certain airport facilities. However, data from Flightradar24.com shows that flights are still landing across Spain, indicating that air traffic operations are continuing, albeit under challenging circumstances.

Authorities are actively working to stabilise the situation and investigate the cause of the widespread blackout.