Flights cancelled at Germany’s Stuttgart Airport after cable fire

Dozens of flights were delayed and several were cancelled at Stuttgart Airport after a cable fire disrupted operations late Wednesday, causing ripple effects into Thursday.

According to the airport’s website, at least eight departures and five arrivals were cancelled, while around 60 other flights experienced delays. 

A spokeswoman for the airport explained that some of the cancellations were not only due to the power outage but also because certain planes were unable to reach Stuttgart following the incident.

The fire broke out in an operations building located away from passenger terminals. Airport officials confirmed that passengers were not directly at risk. However, the blaze damaged the airport’s power supply system, which in turn affected critical infrastructure, including runway lighting.

As a safety precaution, flight operations were suspended for about an hour on Wednesday evening. Departures were halted for the remainder of the day, though the runway was reopened later in the night to allow some arriving flights to land.

Several flights scheduled for Stuttgart were diverted to other German airports, including Munich, Nuremberg, and Frankfurt, to minimize disruption. Despite the operational setback, no passengers sustained injuries during the incident.

Two firefighters involved in the emergency response were taken to the hospital for medical checks after being exposed to smoke, though their conditions were not reported as serious.

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By Thursday morning, flight operations had partially resumed, but residual delays and cancellations continued. Airport authorities advised passengers to monitor updates from their airlines before traveling, as schedules remained subject to change while systems were gradually restored.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and the extent of the damage to the facility has yet to be determined. The airport operator has not provided a timeline for full restoration of services, but said safety and restoration of critical infrastructure remain the immediate priorities.

Stuttgart Airport, one of Germany’s busiest regional hubs, handles millions of passengers annually and serves as a key link for both domestic and international travel. Any disruption at the airport typically causes a knock-on effect for surrounding transport networks and connecting flights, making the incident a significant challenge for passengers and airlines alike.

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(NAN)