TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A power outage struck Songshan Airport (松山機場) Monday afternoon (Dec. 2), plunging international terminals, duty-free shops, restaurants, and restrooms into darkness for over an hour. The blackout affected escalators and elevators, forcing travelers to navigate with the help of their phone flashlights while dining services were halted due to non-functional equipment.
The Civil Aviation Administration, Taiwan's aviation regulator, activated backup generators to ensure check-in and customs procedures continued without disruption. Taiwan Power Company (台電, the state-owned utility) identified a feeder line trip as the cause and restored internal airport power by 2:18 p.m., confirming no flight operations were affected.
The outage affected 4,698 households in nearby Zhongshan District (中山區, a Taipei district) for 12 minutes and disrupted ATM services at the airport, compounding traveler inconvenience. Restaurants halted operations during peak dining hours, significantly impacting revenue, while Taiwan Power Company (台電) issued an official response three hours after restoring power to all affected areas.
The blackout extended to the Minquan East Road and Fuxing North Road areas in Zhongshan District (中山區), with some residents reporting internet disruptions alongside the power outage; however, the overall impact remained minimal compared to the airport disruption. Authorities are expected to examine infrastructure resilience and conduct a thorough investigation to prevent future incidents as the airport and surrounding areas fully recover from the Monday afternoon outage. ◼