The Libreville International Airport in Gabon was forced to temporarily close its doors on the evening of July 24th due to a major power outage. This situation resulted in the cancellation or delay of all flights arriving at or departing from Libreville. Ongoing flights were diverted to neighboring countries.
On July 25th, there was an eerie silence on the tarmac of the Libreville International Airport. No planes had taken off or landed since the previous night, just before midnight. All passenger embarkation and disembarkation counters at the terminal were closed. On the screens, all flights were marked in red, indicating delays or cancellations.
Many passengers, sitting next to their luggage, appeared tired and bewildered. Others wandered around in search of any information. No official announcement was made regarding the cause of this shutdown. Information about the massive power outage causing the paralysis of air navigation instruments was spread through social media and word of mouth.
Only on Tuesday afternoon did the Gabonese Energy and Water Company acknowledge, in a statement, that an incident on the high-voltage network had caused this power outage in a significant part of the northern part of the capital, where the airport is located. Late on Tuesday evening, the Ministry of Transport requested airport management to work towards a quick reopening of traffic.
