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Austin-Bergstrom airport faces power outage Wednesday morning, delaying flights

Crowds of passengers wait for luggage at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in July 2021.
Gabriel C. Pérez
/
KUT
Crowds of passengers wait for luggage at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in July 2021. The airport experienced a power outage Wednesday morning, delaying flights.

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The Austin-Bergstrom International Airport experienced a power outage on Wednesday morning, delaying numerous flights throughout the rest of the day and prompting airport road closures.

The power went out around 4:30 a.m., according to airport spokesperson Bailey Grimmett. Austin Energy was able to restore power shortly before 8 a.m.

Airport officials say travelers should check for changed flight times and prepare for delays. The outage also delayed arrivals, according to Grimmett. She said some planes were re-routed to San Antonio.

Austin Energy said an equipment malfunction caused the outage. But spokesperson Luis Rivas said the utility doesn't know what led to the malfunction in the first place.

The outage forced road closures at the airport, causing backups along Highway 71. Roadways to the airport were reopened as of about 9:50 a.m.

In a statement, Congressman Lloyd Doggett described the disruption as "truly intolerable."

"With soaring demand, our airport faces many challenges, but the source of this morning's horrible chaos appears to have been an external power cut," said Doggett, D-Austin. "Following its thorough investigation, Austin Energy must act to ensure a fully functional backup system so that this never reoccurs."

Haya Panjwani is a general assignment reporter, with a focus on Travis County. Got a tip? Email her at hpanjwani@kut.org. Follow her on Twitter @hayapanjw.
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