June 10, 2022
ORANJESTAD - The island-wide blackout that transpired in Aruba yesterday created a series of events at Aeropuerto Internacional Reina Beatrix (AUA Airport).
Closure and restart of airport operations
At around 2 pm yesterday, because of the power outage, the power supply at the airport was also lost. The airport generators and the backup system did not take over the power supply as it should be, causing the airport to remain without power until 3 pm. Aruba Airport Authority N.V. (AAA) activated the AAA crisis team and implemented the applicable emergency procedures. To prevent the influx of more arriving and departing passengers the airport and runway were closed at 2.15 pm and re-opened at 3 pm as the power was restored. As a result, 5 aircraft had diverted to other airports (Curaçao and Santo Domingo). All these 5 flights that were inbound at the time of the power outage eventually arrived and thereafter also departed again from AUA Airport. Only 1 US-bound flight was canceled yesterday and departed this morning.
Yesterday, at 2.20 pm, AAA decided to evacuate the passengers present within the airport’s terminal restricted areas to the landside areas. 700 – 1000 passengers were safely and smoothly evacuated, without any incidents for imminent safety reasons. The crisis organization worked as per the procedures that are in place and the good cooperation received from all involved on all fronts was invaluable in making this evacuation as smooth as possible.
Safety first
The safety of the passengers, staff, and airport users is and will always be the airport’s number one priority. Without electrical power, the airport terminal had insufficient lighting to guarantee the safety of passengers and other airport users/concessionaires, an inability to monitor a large number of passengers via CCTV, and trip/slip hazards due to condensation that kicks in shortly after air conditioning turns off, inability to adequately screen passengers and luggage, health hazards due to inability to flush toilets/wash hands. And, in case of fire, inability to guarantee that the fire suppression system would function. Based on these risks, AAA decided to evacuate the terminal.
Full load generator test
The 6 generators at AUA Airport are tested and maintained regularly, as per manufacturer recommendation. AAA also has service level agreements in place with the expert maintenance companies providing that service. There were no indications given during the latest tests that these would not kick in during a power failure.
Today, Friday, June 10 at 9 pm a full load generator test will be carried out in a controlled environment and in the presence of experts (internal and external, including Elmar and other service providers). The power of the 4 transformers in the Utility Building will be shut down by Elmar one by one, and the several parts of the backup system will be monitored and validated for proper action/reaction. The terminal will be closed at that time and will therefore close two hours earlier than on normal days (9 pm instead of 11 pm). All emergency service aircraft operators and service providers have been informed of this closure. Once the cause has been identified, AAA will initiate the corresponding solution. AAA’s highest priority is determining the cause and subsequently implementing a solution. AAA will update the community of Aruba further as soon as these are clearly known.
AAA sincerely apologizes to each airline, the passengers, the airport partners, and the airport community that were adversely affected by yesterday’s events.
Papiamento
AUA Airport lo ta sera awenochi entre 9’or pa 11’or:
“Full Load Generator Test” lo wordo haci awenochi
ORANJESTAD – E blackout cu a tuma lugar ayera na Aruba a ocashona un serie di evento na Aeropuerto Internacional Reina Beatrix (AUA Airport).
Seramento y restart di operacionnan na aeropuerto
Rond di 2’or ayera, pa motibo cu coriente a bai na Aruba, e suministro di coriente na aeropuerto tambe a cai afo. E generatornan di aeropuerto y e sistema di backup no a tuma over e suministro di coriente manera mester ta, causando cu aeropuerto a keda sin coriente te cu 3’or di atardi. Aruba Airport Authority N.V. (AAA) a activa su crisis team y a implementa e proceduranan di emergencia aplicabel. Pa preveni cu mas pasahero ta drenta den aeropuerto a dicidi cu ta sera e pista di aterizahe y aeropuerto mes tambe 2.15 pm y a habri bek 3’or ora cu coriente a bin bek. Esaki a causa cu 5 avion a desvia pa otro aeropuerto (Curacao y Santo Domingo). Tur e 5 buelonan cu tabata biniendo Aruba durante e rato cu no tabatin coriente eventualmente a yega y tambe a sali bek for di AUA Airport. Solamente 1 buelo cu mester a sali pa Merca a keda cancela, pero a sali awemainta.
Ayera, 2.20 pm, AAA a dicidi pa evacua e pasaheronan presente den aeropuerto su area restringi y hiba nan tur parti pafo di aeropuerto. 700 – 1000 pasahero a wordo evacua di forma trankil y sigur, sin ningun incidente pa motibonan di safety. E organisacion di crisis a traha segun e proceduranan existente y e bon cooperacion ricibi for di tur persona envolvi tabata esencial pa haci e evacuacion mas facil y liher posibel.
“Safety” na prome lugar
E safety di e pasaheronan, staff, y di tur usuario di aeropuerto ta y semper lo keda aeropuerto su prioridad number uno. Sin coriente, e terminal di aeropuerto no tabatin suficiente lus pa garantiza e safety di e pasaheronan y otro usuario/concesionario, un inabilidad pa monitor e cantidad grandi di pasahero via CCTV, peligro di slip door di e condensacion cu ta pasa despues cu e airco paga, e inabilidad pa screen pasahero y maleta, riesgonan di salud door cu no por flush wc y/of laba man. Y, den caso di un candela, e inabilidad pa por garantiza cu e sistema di paga candela ta funciona debidamente. Basa riba e riesgonan aki, AAA a dicidi di evacua e terminal.
Full load generator test
E 6 generatornan na AUA Airport ta wordo getest y manteni regularmente, segun e recomendacionnan di e fabricante. AAA tin tambe un “service level agreement” cu e compania experto cu ta haci mantencion di e generatornan. No tabatin indicacion durante e ultimo prueba cu e generatornan no lo funciona ora cu coriente cai afo.
Awe, Diabierna 10 di Juni pa 9’or di anochi lo haci un test cu e generatornan den un ambiente controla y den presencia di expertonan (interno y externo, incluyendo Elmar y otro proveedornan di servicio). E coriente di e 4 transformernan den e edificio di utilidad lo wordo paga un pa un door di Elmar, y varios parti di e sistema di backup lo wordo monitoria pa e accion/reaccionnan adecua. E terminal lo ta sera na e momento ei y pesei aeropuerto lo sera 2 ora mas prome cu normaal (9’or na lugar di 11’or). Tur operador di avionnan di emergencia y otro proveedornan di servicio a wordo informa di e orario di ciere. Unabes cu identifica e causa, AAA lo traha dibiaha riba e solucion. AAA su prioridad principal ta pa determina e causa y subsecuentemente implementa un solucion. AAA lo duna un update na comunidad di Aruba asina cu e causa bira conosi.
AAA ta disculpa sinceramente na cada aerolinea, pasahero, tur partner y e comunidad di aeropuerto cu a wordo afecta pa e susedidonan di ayera.
