Gibraltar Airport suffers flight disruption after water main burst floods passenger terminal building

Gibraltar Airport experienced significant disruption on Saturday morning after a major flooding incident temporarily rendered the air terminal building unusable, though swift emergency response efforts restored operations by midday.

The incident unfolded in the early hours when a high-pressure water main burst on the first floor of the air terminal, sending water cascading throughout several areas of the building. The flooding affected retail shops, the ground floor baggage reclaim area, security screening facilities, and critical computer rooms that control essential systems including the airport website, flight information displays, and check-in systems.

The combination of high water pressure and volume caused substantial structural damage, affecting flooring, ceilings, and lighting fixtures throughout the affected areas. The extent of the damage initially made the building completely inoperable.

Airport management immediately activated emergency protocols, recalling all relevant technical, operational, and cleaning staff to respond to what officials classified as a major incident. Teams worked through the morning to secure affected areas, remove accumulated water, clear debris, and assess water damage.

The flooding incident created additional challenges for flight operations as the usual backup option of diverting flights to nearby Malaga Airport was unavailable due to ongoing industrial action by ground handling staff there.

British Airways was forced to cancel its first outbound flight, BA511, but managed to accommodate passengers from inbound flight BA498 by processing them through the Wessex Lounge. The airline's second service, BA492/493, operated normally despite departure delays. EasyJet flight EZY6533/6534 also maintained service with minimal disruption.

By just after midday, the air terminal had resumed full operations, though some systems continued operating at reduced capacity as restoration work continued.

The airport continues working to restore all affected systems to full operational capacity following the unprecedented flooding incident.