On the night of August 5, 2024, Frankfurt Airport experienced a significant power outage caused by a dormouse that short-circuited a substation.

The rodent's actions led to smoke and a loss of power, prompting a response from the airport's fire department.

Power was restored around 3:20 AM, with the dormouse found dead next to the damaged wire.

By Tuesday morning, while power had not been fully restored, systems were gradually coming back online, allowing normal operations to resume by 5 AM.

Despite the restoration, eleven flight cancellations were announced on Tuesday, affecting a busy travel day with 1,242 flights scheduled.

Travelers were advised to check their flight status in advance due to the disruptions caused by the outage.

Fortunately, the incident did not compromise safety, as emergency power systems were activated to maintain essential services.

Fraport, the airport operator, warned of potential delays and flight cancellations due to ongoing technical issues.

The outage primarily impacted areas A and part of B in Terminal 1, which are mainly used by Lufthansa.

Approximately 1,000 pieces of luggage were stranded in the airport's baggage handling system during the outage.

Passengers reported confusion and a lack of communication, with many stranded in the dark baggage area for about two hours.

Frankfurt Airport receives power from two separate suppliers and has six substations to ensure reliability, but this incident highlighted vulnerabilities.