Power surge at Stansted Airport leaves passengers facing long queues

A power surge at Stansted Airport disrupted several systems on Sunday, leaving arriving passengers reporting long waits for passport control. The airport said all affected systems had returned to service, but its shuttle between the terminal and gates remained out of action, with buses operating instead.

Traveller Jill Stakem told the BBC people had been held in a corridor for more than 90 minutes. She also reported a lack of communication and seating. Another passenger, Gilles Corby, said the queue for passport control extended into departure areas and that it took him 45 minutes to reach the entrance to immigration control.

Stansted Airport said the surge had affected the airport and local area, temporarily disrupting a number of systems. It apologised for the inconvenience and said operational teams were supporting passengers as services were restored.

The disruption came a day after some trains to and from the airport were cancelled following damage to overhead power lines. Last month, passengers were also left in a corridor after an airport shuttle stopped running.