QF MEL T1 (DOM): Power currently out [6May2011]

[thewinchester]

Coming in via twitter, power to all of QF MEL T1 (DOM) has just been lost, leaving staff to check pax manually.

No information if this is affecting screening or other issues, will post more as it comes to hand:

@stuarthorrex Stuart Horrex
Power just gone in the QF terminal at Melbourne's Tullamarine. Check ins are being done manually

8 min ago.

@nattyjsmith natalie smith
No power at qantas Melbourne. Could be interesting night. No Perth for me?

1 min ago

@gputland gputland
Lights out in Business Qantas lounge Melbourne. Have they not paid their bills? Lucky it hasn't affected the planes!!

2 min ago

 

[thewinchester]

Further monitoring of the twittersphere, 20min in and power is still out. Baggage and security has come to a halt, and queues are now starting to form.

@rozellewino Meegs Sullivan
Power outage in Qantas Melbourne, coming up to 20 mins. No baggage, security and massive queues forming... Complete fail.

4 minutes ago

Section45AH Sam Atkins
Can you believe it - power black out in Qantas Melbourne terminal. No checkin, no security clearance and no back up power - ridiculous!!!!!!

12 minutes ago

And we now have a photo (just posted), thanks to twitter user @nicholasibrahim

 

[nlagalle]

Further monitoring of the twittersphere, 20min in and power is still out. Baggage and security has come to a halt, and queues are now starting to form.

And we now have a photo (just posted), thanks to twitter user @nicholasibrahim

They should be lucky.. half of Surry Hills in Sydney lost power for nearly an hour on Wednesday.. I'm guessing somehow it is QF's fault.. who plugged the hair dryer in!

 

[jdlover23]

QF MEL T1 (DOM): Power currently out

Can confirm it has been more like 50 mins now, completely pitch black in business lounge as were made to leAve oh&s reasons which is fair enough, just looking down at security lines from the QP and they haven't moved in 50mins either, initial PA said all flights on hold, but flights to Bne,cbr and Jetstar ool gave been called, but seeing as there are flights to Syd every 15 mins on a Friday night at peak Hr this is going to be an interesting night, at least I'm through security... And having a drink or 10...

 

[nlagalle]

Can confirm it has been more like 50 mins now, completely pitch black in business lounge as were made to leAve oh&s reasons which is fair enough, just looking down at security lines from the QP and they haven't moved in 50mins either, initial PA said all flights on hold, but flights to Bne,cbr and Jetstar ool gave been called, but seeing as there are flights to Syd every 15 mins on a Friday night at peak Hr this is going to be an interesting night, at least I'm through security... And having a drink or 10...

I might get to see you if they allow our flight to land and dock!

 

[thewinchester]

Much better & clearer photo this time, and needless to say it doesn't look all that crash hot:

 

[moa999]

I'm sure someone must have been walking through security as the power went out.
Quick... Empty everyone onto the street and rescreen everyone by hand...

Apologies to all those caught up in this, particularly those landside who can't get to the QP Bar.

 

[nlagalle]

QF MEL T1 (DOM): Power currently out

Well it's affected us leaving Syd.. We are stuck on the plane!!

 

[samh004]

Haven’t heard anything for nearly an hour, did power come back on?

 

[thewinchester]

Haven’t heard anything for nearly an hour, did power come back on?

I asked around for updates, and got a response back under 1hr ago from a customer in the thick of it saying power and lighting are back, but terminal information displays and some systems are still out.

Also noted there was at that time no word as to how long any delays arising would be.

Well it's affected us leaving Syd.. We are stuck on the plane!!

Looks like it's happening everywhere. Chatter has people en-route to MEL stuck on the tarmac at ADL as well, and people stuck on the tarmac at MEL waiting to disembark.

Not a good night for Red Roo and their staff. I wonder if QFCSA is on duty and in the thick of it?

 

[jdlover23]

QF MEL T1 (DOM): Power currently out

I'm currently sitting on the Tarmac for the 730pm flight to Syd from Mel, we boarded at 8ish but due to the pandemonium in the terminal we can't leave until the gate peeps can confirm how many should b on the flight, the plane is half empty, so I'm guessing ppl still trying to get through security are getting bumped on later flights, although with the Sydney curfew, it could b touch and go...

 

[djfuzz]

Much better & clearer photo this time, and needless to say it doesn't look all that crash hot:

Unfortunately looks eerily similar to the Good Friday baggage belt failure (minus the lights). The lack of structure in the queues / bag drop / service desks and inability to manage a large number of people in an orderly manner when things go awry is really becoming a significant problem.

Seems to be a bit of an unfortunate reoccurrence at T1 lately. Maybe QF needs to be having a word to their landlords. :-|

 

[TonyHancock]

There is a fair bit of electricity distribution upgrade work going on at the moment. The current ring main set up is being expanded. I hope it is not related to this. :-|

 

[thewinchester]

ABC News online is reporting power has been restored, and QF/JQ are investegating the cause of the problem (standard statement really).

3AW Melbourne is reporting pax will be expecting 90min delays.

And in the last to the news and usually late category, AusBT picked up on the story only 7min ago. Nothing like being slow to the punch for them.

 

[samiam]

QF MEL T1 (DOM): Power currently out

Arrived back in MEL at around 9pm ex PER, about 15 mins ahead of schedule (QF768), and waited on tarmac for about 15 minutes- no 1.5 hour delays, fortunately.

Baggage at MEL of course can always a different matter. Took a further 15 mins for the carousel to crank up (no complaints given the power outage), and I nearly fell to the floor for the 2nd time this trip- my bag was 3rd off).

My first falling on the floor moment was inflight when the cabin manager introduced herself and asked if there was anything I'd like, eg noise cancelling headphones!

 

[samh004]

QF MEL T1 (DOM): Power currently out

Shouldn't the terminal have had a backup generator?

 

[TheInsider]

Shouldn't the terminal have had a backup generator?

It does, not to run the baggage belt, check-in, security, computers, pharmac_ etc etc.

 

[LiamR]

I saw on Facebook a few people I know stuck in MEL last night. Friday night and Mel brought to a standstill. It would be hell.

I think the Virgin Terminal also went down?

Liam.

 

[samh004]

It does, not to run the baggage belt, check-in, security, computers, pharmac_ etc etc.

I’d have thought in an airport that’d be core functionality and should be included in backup power.

 

[nlagalle]

I’d have thought in an airport that’d be core functionality and should be included in backup power.

The power requirements would be huge. our print site doesn't have enough backup power to run the presses if we have a failure - we'd need something the size of a substation to run it. An airport terminal would be the same too. Those sort of backup generators aren't the sort of thing you can buy at Bunnings . Actually I don't know if you could even get something that could run the KVA's required to power the terminal.