A power outage at Germany’s biggest airport could cause severe disruption and cancellation of hundreds of flights. 

But when a small rodent, thought to be a dormouse, gnawed through a cable on Monday, it was just before the nightly flight ban started.

It meant there were minimal problems to passengers at Frankfurt airport – although some people were not able to collect their luggage. 

The power went out around 11 pm on Monday, with emergency generators kicking in shortly after. 

The rodent caused a short circuit in the transformer station at the centre of the airport, a spokesperson for energy supplier Syna told regional broadcasters Hessenschau. The incident resulted in smoke and a power cut. When the fire and rescue services arrived to assess the situation, the animal was found dead next to the gnawed cable.

According to an airport spokesperson, areas A and B in Terminal 1 were affected, with emergency generators providing dim lighting through the night.

According to the spokesperson, there weren’t too many problems due to the late hour. Flights are not allowed to take-off or land between 11 pm and 5 am. Safety at Germany’s largest airport was not jeopardised at any time, the airport was keen to stress. 

After the issue was identified, the power supply was restored gradually as airport systems restarted, the spokesperson said.

The first planes were able to take off and land on Tuesday morning as planned, but there was still a risk of delays and some flight cancellations during the course of the day in Terminal 1, which is mainly used by Lufthansa. 

Frankfurt airport said on social media: “Due to a technical problem, flight delays and cancellations can be expected at Frankfurt airport this morning.

“Passengers are requested to check the status of their flight on their airline’s website before traveling to the airport and allow extra time for your journey.”

Due to a technical problem, flight delays and cancellations can be expected @ FRA this morning.

Passengers are requested to check the status of their flight on their airline’s website before traveling to the airport and allow extra time for your journey. pic.twitter.com/1i0irf6CPu

— Frankfurt Airport (@Airport_FRA) August 6, 2024

1,000 cases left behind 

One issue that happened early in the night was that around 1,000 suitcases belonging to passengers were left behind because the baggage carousels came to a standstill. The airport spokesperson said the luggage was now being delivered to the customers affected. 

There were also problems in various spots around the airport due to the power outage, and two large hotels nearby were also affected.

It’s not the first time that rodents in Frankfurt have led to significant problems. 

In December 2022, mice bit through cables at traffic lights on the busy Friedberger Landstraße/Alleenring junction, causing a short circuit. The power outage on the lights lasted days. 

There have also been repeated reports of mouse infestations at Frankfurt Airport. According to the airport operator Fraport, around 5,000 mousetraps have been set up in the buildings.