GEORGE TOWN: At least one flight was delayed from the Penang International Airport (PIA) in Bayan Lepas during the blackout that hit the island, while factories in the area ground to a halt for up to three hours.
The flight from Singapore to Penang was delayed by 19 minutes when the airport suffered a power outage between 12.55pm and 1.20pm yesterday.
AirAsia northern region (government relations) manager Kenneth Tan confirmed the incident.
However, Penang International Airport senior manager Mohd Nadzim Hashim declined to comment.
Checks on the FlightRadar24 platform showed several other flights were also delayed, including one from Kuala Lumpur, which was delayed from 1.20pm to 2.03pm.
Factories and schools in the area reported a short blackout, but the recovery took longer for some.
A mechanical engineer known as Leoi said the blackout caused several machines in his factory to stop suddenly, causing materials to get stuck in the processing line.
“Although power resumed 10 minutes later, the damage was done as the machines were already clogged,” he said.
He said it took three hours to clean and remove the materials stuck in the machines before they could be run.
A representative from SJK(C) Chung Shan in Bayan Lepas said the outage lasted only 10 to 15 minutes and did not disrupt classes.
Sunshine Wholesale Mart marketing and communication manager Bryan Wong said that while their supermarket in Bayan Baru experienced a power trip, it only lasted a few seconds.
“The generator kicked in,” he said.
Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) issued a general statement on their Facebook page stating that certain places, including Bayan Lepas and Seberang Jaya in Penang, were affected by the power failure, but said electricity was restored within 20 to 40 minutes.