FLIGHTMARE
Travel chaos as ALL flights from Manchester Airport are cancelled after power cut – leaving passengers furious
Video of inside the airport shows the 'absolute chaos'
PASSENGERS at Manchester Airport face travel chaos this morning with all flights cancelled after a power cut.
Huge queues of furious passengers were unable to check in and a sea of suitcases sit unclaimed with arriving travellers stuck on planes.
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All flights out of Terminals 1 and 2 have been cancelled until further notice.
Flyers told The Sun those terminals were like a "minefield" earlier as thousands of people were stuck inside with nowhere to go.
Hundreds of suitcases were also dumped at abandoned check-in areas as conveyorbelts and computers had stopped working.
Ian Ellison, 42, told The Sun arriving at the airport early this morning was "absolute chaos" after their flight was stuck on the tarmac for two hours.
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The Chester man had returned from a lovely 10 day holiday to Paphos, Cyprus, with his wife and five-year-old son.
Their plane arrived at terminal one at 2.50am, but passengers weren't allowed off the plane and became increasingly agitated with children on the flight "kicking off".
He said: "The captain on the plane said he's never experienced something like that."
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After finally catching a bus to Terminal 2 at around 5am, Ian said there was a smooth pass through immigration - only find chaos on the other side.
"It was like a minefield walking through Terminal 2.
"Bags were absolutely everywhere with nobody to tell us which belt was where... it was utter chaos."
Ian said it took his family about 25 minutes to search through the belts and find their bags.
He thinks there was up to 10,000 people stuck inside Terminal 2, many who weren't able to check in as bag conveyorbelts and computers weren't working.
"When I walked past the Jet2 desk there were people kicking off... they were quoted five hour delays.
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"It just seemed like there was no one from Manchester Airport Group there, it looked like the people from the airlines were trying to organise it... you could see the airlines were struggling."
Video posted to social media showed passengers queued in one dark terminal lit by emergency lighting at 4am.
Another showed hundreds of passengers standing around in baggage claim unsure which carousel their belongings were on.
Manchester Airport said at 7.45am the power was running again but passengers continue to face a nightmare situation.
Those flying out of Terminals 1 and 2 have been told to stay away as all flights out of the terminals have been cancelled.
The airport has also warned that anyone who does manage to depart from Terminal 3 might have their luggage on a different flight.
Manchester Airport statement
A Manchester Airport spokesperson said: "Manchester Airport was affected by a major power cut in the area earlier this morning.
"Power has been restored but the outage affected important systems, including the processing of boarding cards and baggage screening, which has caused significant delays, particularly in Terminals 1 and 2.
"All flights from Terminals 1 and 2 are being cancelled until further notice and passengers due to travel from those terminals are advised not to come to the airport and to stay in touch with their airlines.
"Flights due to fly from Terminal 3 should come to the airport as normal unless advised otherwise by their airline but could be affected by delays.
"Flights for those passengers already checked-in are departing but are subject to delays.
The disruption means some baggage may not be on those flights. We will work with airlines and handling partners to reunite affected passengers with their luggage as soon as possible.
"Some arriving flights are being diverted to other airports meaning people due to pick passengers up from the airport should check before setting out.
"We apologise for any inconvenience and aim to restore normal service as soon as possible."
And easyJet said in a post on X that travellers leaving later today will only be allowed hand luggage "due to the scanners being out of use due to the overnight power outage."
Arriving passengers have also been warned they could be diverted to other airports.
Holidaymakers who are due to jet off later have been urged to check with their airline before setting off for the airport.
Airlines will organise any onward journey for those whose flights are cancelled, it is understood.
Posting on Twitter, passenger Aaron said: "We've been stood for over an hour and a half in the same spot.
"We're still being told that 'Normal services will resume ASAP' - our flight leaves at 7.10am."
Chris said: "Landed at 1am and still waiting on bags, it’s been disgraceful from all involved."
Another passenger said: "An update on what's being done to get this mess resolved ASAP would be more useful than apologising for any inconvenience.
"People have been stuck for hours now, everyone in T1 is being very patient but they're increasingly angry and fed up."
The captain on the plane said he's never experienced something like that
Ian Ellison
The chaos at Manchester comes less than a month after passengers at Birmingham Airport queued hours to get through security.
The airport had reportedly been overhauling its security system in time for the summer holidays - sparking half term chaos.
Some passengers were reportedly pulled out of the queues because the gate was closing for their flights.
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Last month a nationwide IT glitch sparked Border Control misery at all UK airports.
Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester were among the airports blighted by huge queues due to a Border Control "technical issue".
Flight compensation rules
What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed?
Under UK law, airlines have to provide compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late.
If you're flying to or from the UK, your airline must let you choose a refund or an alternative flight.
You will be able to get your money back for the part of your ticket that you haven't used yet.
So if you booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket refunded.
But if travelling is essential, then your airline has to find you an alternative flight. This could even be with another airline.
When am I not entitled to compensation?
The airline doesn't have to give you a refund if the flight was cancelled due to reasons beyond their control, such as extreme weather.
Disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances’ are not eligible for compensation.
Some airlines may stretch the definition of the "extraordinary circumstances" but you can challenge them through the aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Will my insurance cover me if my flight is cancelled?
If you can't claim compensation directly through the airline, your travel insurance may refund you.
Policies vary so you should check the small print, but a delay of eight to 12 hours will normally mean you qualify for some money from your insurer.
Remember to get written confirmation of your delay from the airport as your insurer will need proof.
If your flight is cancelled entirely, you're unlikely to be covered by your insurance.
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