Detroit Metro Airport Faces Major Delays After Power Outage

Detroit Metro Airport Faces Major Delays After Power Outage...

A sudden power outage at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) caused widespread flight disruptions Saturday morning, leaving thousands of travelers stranded. The outage, which began around 7:30 a.m. ET, affected terminal operations, security screening, and baggage systems for nearly two hours before power was fully restored.

Airport officials confirmed the outage stemmed from an electrical equipment failure in a substation serving the McNamara Terminal. Emergency generators provided limited power to critical areas, but check-in counters and TSA checkpoints experienced significant slowdowns. By 9:15 a.m., DTW announced normal operations were resuming, though residual delays persisted throughout the day.

At least 87 departing flights were delayed and 18 cancellations were reported as of noon, according to FlightAware data. Major carriers including Delta, Spirit, and American Airlines issued travel waivers allowing passengers to rebook without fees. Social media posts showed long lines snaking through terminals as frustrated travelers awaited updates.

The outage comes during one of DTW's busiest travel weekends of the spring season. Airport CEO Chad Newton apologized for the disruption in a statement, noting teams were working to determine why backup systems didn't prevent the cascading effects. The Wayne County Airport Authority said it would conduct a full review of the incident.

DTW ranks as Michigan's largest airport and a key Delta Air Lines hub, handling over 1,100 daily flights. Saturday's disruption marks the second major operational issue this year after January's winter storm cancellations. Travelers are advised to check flight statuses directly with airlines before heading to the airport Sunday.