Tuesday, May 20, 2025
On Sunday, Houston Hobby Airport encountered a critical power outage affecting its air traffic control (ATC) tower, resulting in widespread flight delays and cancellations. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the ATC tower lost connection to the main power grid around 1:15 p.m. local time, with electricity restored approximately one hour later at 2:15 p.m. Emergency backup generators engaged immediately, maintaining essential tower operations and safeguarding flight safety throughout the outage.
The airport’s largest carrier, Southwest Airlines, faced significant disruption, with delays impacting about one-third of its flights during the event. Meanwhile, American Airlines canceled roughly eighty percent of its limited flights at the facility. Though the outage was limited to the control tower, many inbound aircraft were placed into holding patterns that extended for thirty minutes or more, creating a ripple effect of delays. Flight tracking data indicates that 115 flights were delayed, and five flights were canceled during this period.
This incident adds to the ongoing operational challenges confronting the FAA, including a shortage of air traffic controllers nationwide and aging infrastructure susceptible to failures. Similar power-related issues have recently disrupted operations at other major airports, exposing vulnerabilities within the national air traffic system.
Details of the Outage and Its Impact on Flight Operations
The power disruption was isolated to the ATC tower, with no reported interruptions at passenger terminals or other airport facilities. Thanks to rapid activation of backup power systems, the tower remained operational throughout the outage. Nevertheless, the sudden loss of main power forced air traffic controllers to implement traffic flow adjustments, particularly delaying flights already airborne and awaiting landing clearance.
The FAA has initiated a comprehensive investigation into the root cause of the power failure. While the inquiry is ongoing, officials have assured that all backup protocols functioned correctly, ensuring that no safety risks arose during the event. Findings from the investigation will be made public upon completion.
Global Trends Highlight Increasing Airport Power Disruptions
The Houston Hobby power outage is part of a larger pattern of airport power failures globally over the past twelve months. These incidents have led to severe operational disruptions and high economic costs. Key examples include:
- San Francisco International Airport experienced a prolonged power outage at its international terminal in June 2024, resulting in over 150 flight delays.
- A complete blackout at Baltimore airport in July 2025 lasted two hours and caused extensive delays exceeding three hours along with multiple cancellations.
- Frankfurt Airport’s Terminal 1 suffered an overnight power failure in August 2024 due to cable damage, affecting hundreds of flights and causing eleven cancellations.
- In February 2025, a nationwide blackout forced Santiago Airport to operate solely on emergency power for more than twenty-four hours, with minimal impact on flights.
- Taiwan’s Terminal 2 lost power for over an hour in March 2025, with backup generators unable to fully support check-in and security, resulting in significant delays.
- London Heathrow Airport faced a full-day closure in March 2025 following a fire at a nearby electrical substation, disrupting over 700 flights and incurring estimated losses of $100 million.
- A regional power grid collapse on April 28, 2025, affected both Madrid and Lisbon airports, forcing them onto emergency power and causing delays or cancellations for the majority of departures.
Such events underscore the extensive financial and logistical consequences airports face when electrical supply is interrupted. The 2017 Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport outage, for example, saw more than 1,200 flight cancellations in a single day and cost over $50 million in combined losses, with additional disruptions extending into subsequent days.
Steps Toward Strengthening Airport Power Infrastructure
To mitigate risks of future outages, the FAA supports airports in upgrading their backup power capabilities, including more reliable generators and emergency preparedness planning. Additionally, airports are increasingly adopting microgrid technologies that enable local electricity generation, storage, and distribution independent of the main grid.
Renewable energy integration is also gaining momentum as airports seek to diversify power sources and improve sustainability. Approximately twenty percent of public airports across the United States now utilize solar energy. Denver International Airport, a pioneer since 1995, has developed solar farms covering forty-five acres that generate nearly fifty megawatts of electricity—enough to supply around fifteen thousand homes. These advances not only bolster energy security but also contribute to environmental goals within airport operations.
