The rodents caused a recent electrical short circuit, which cut power to parts of Frankfurt Airport and prompted firefighters to be called in due to smoke rising from the site, according to energy company Syna.
Airport operator Fraport said the impact on air traffic was limited as the incident occurred just before the last flights ended for the night and was quickly resolved before the first flights of the day departed the following morning.
A rat has caused a major crisis at Frankfurt Airport, one of the world's busiest aviation hubs.
The airport operator said the incident did not seriously affect airline operations. Frankfurt Airport has a curfew from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. (local time, UTC +2), so no planes are scheduled to land or take off while the airport is without power. However, the airport said in a statement on social media X that “due to technical problems, flights may be delayed or canceled on the following day.”
Eleven flights were canceled at Frankfurt Airport, the German news agency DPA reported. A total of 1,242 flights were scheduled at Germany's busiest airport. The airport operator said it had staff on hand at all times but could not completely rule out such incidents. The airport's power supply is provided by two separate units and there are six transformer stations across the airport.
The airport lost power for several hours, affecting many passengers.
Frankfurt Airport, one of Europe’s busiest aviation hubs, has faced frequent disruptions in recent months. From climate protests to airline worker strikes, the airport has been thrown into chaos, severely disrupting flight schedules and disrupting the experience of millions of passengers.
