Are airports resilient enough?

Sudden interruptions to operations at major UK airports seem to be growing in frequency, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by the public.

Indeed, repeated incidents – whether it be last month’s e-gates outage, system upgrade faults in May 2023 or the numerous e-gate outages in 2021 – have brought the efficacy of existing contingency plans to the fore of the news agenda.

The recent power cut in Manchester appears to have been a relatively short-lived issue, and fortunately not all terminals were affected.

However, as many airports experience increased pressure from holidaymakers and football fans, both industry stakeholders and passengers expect reassurance that lessons are being learned from these crises.

Just days later, BA passengers at Heathrow found themselves separated from their belongings and stuck on the runway after a technical issue with baggage allocation.

Incidents like these are subject to widespread condemnation, particularly on social media, which draws further attention to the importance of well-tested plans for Business Continuity and Resilience.

Last month, Databarracks hosted its Cyber Recovery Wargame, an interactive exercise that simulated the effects of a cyber-attack on a major UK airport. An airport was the natural choice of setting for our scenario as they become increasingly associated with disruption.

Reflecting on responses

When a manual workaround is your contingency solution, a range of factors – not least the level of staff – completely determine the speed of processing.

In practice, regular testing and exercising of existing Business Continuity Plans is essential to identify potential gaps in preparedness.

In Manchester’s case, the power outage itself wasn’t actually the major issue. Power was restored quickly, but damage caused to critical systems impacted a number of dependent systems.

Airports are particularly susceptible to issues like these. There are multiple, critical activities that must occur for a passenger to have a successful flight. From transport and parking at the airport, to security, baggage handling and air traffic control, even minor interruptions can to delay or even ground flights.

“Preparing for extended incidents, especially during times of increased operational or logistical demand, requires thorough planning.”

There is a lesson to be learned here for all organisations. What is the impact of an outage on any of your dependent systems and services – both internally and in your supply chain? Do you have contingencies to keep your business operational, or will a single system outage cease delivery?

Preparing for extended incidents, especially during times of increased operational or logistical demand, requires thorough planning. Resources must also be allocated appropriately to ensure an adequate level of operations, and that impact to customers is kept to a minimum.

These unexpected disruptions also highlight the need for comprehensive communications plans. In an environment where a high volume of people are affected at once by operational disturbances, even a small issue can have far-reaching consequences.

Faced with significant media scrutiny, an effective communications strategy can play an important role in reinforcing customer trust. Heathrow was quick to issue apologies to affected passengers, although many expressed frustration over the lack of updates about their missing baggage.

Advice for business continuity and resilience

In practical terms, resilience against disruption is a muscle to be exercised, not a finish line to reach. Regular rehearsals, evaluations and improvements to response are essential to ensure they work effectively when needed.

Recent issues at airports across the UK serve as an important lesson in business continuity and resilience. Organisations must maintain dynamic and tested contingency plans, ensure their ability to rapidly mobilise resources and prepare for extended manual operations.