The bushfire that forced evacuations in the Perth Hills on Thursday afternoon also cut the power to Perth Airport, disrupting terminals, stalling baggage systems and delaying flights across the major airlines.
Western Power says power lines leading to the airport were damaged by the fire, which started near Kalamunda, Lesmurdie and Forrestfield. The airport is only a few kilometres west of the fire ground.
What happened at the airport
Perth Airport confirmed on Thursday afternoon, 29 October 2026, that it had lost power and that terminal operations were affected. The airport told travellers to expect delays.
"Safety and security remain our highest priority, and passengers should expect some delays." — Perth Airport statement
According to The West Australian, arriving flights could still land, but baggage systems went down and check-in queues built up. Some overseas reports said flights were unable to land, but local reports and the airport's own statements do not support that.
Live flight schedules showed delays on Qantas, Virgin Australia and Jetstar services, PerthNow reported. Jetstar said two of its flights had been delayed by the outage and that it was keeping affected customers updated.
Back on generator power
By about 5.15pm, generators had restored power to the terminals. PerthNow reported that queues in Terminal 1 quickly went back to normal, but some flights were still running late.
Western Power said it was working with the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) to restore the mains supply. Its outage website estimated power would be back at about 7.30pm.
"Services are progressively returning to operation across Perth Airport's terminals, however delays are still expected." — Perth Airport spokesperson
The fire behind it
The fire was first reported about 1.20pm and is being treated as suspicious. DFES issued an emergency warning about 3.20pm, telling people in parts of Kalamunda, Lesmurdie and Forrestfield to leave immediately.
At 4.31pm DFES downgraded the fire to a Watch and Act, saying fire activity had decreased. People who left are still being told it is not safe to return because of fallen trees, fallen powerlines and other hazards. Crews are back-burning to join up containment lines, and roads in the area remain closed, including Holmes Road between Maud Road and Wandoo Road.
There have been no reports of injuries or damaged homes.
If you are flying tonight
- Check your flight status with your airline before you leave home, because knock-on delays may last into the evening.
- Give yourself extra time at check-in and bag drop.
- If you are driving to the airport from the hills, avoid the fire area and closed roads around Kalamunda, Lesmurdie and Forrestfield.
Why it matters
The outage shows how close Perth's main airport sits to the bushland of the Darling Scarp, and how one fire in the hills can ripple into flight delays across the country. With the bushfire season only just starting, Thursday's disruption is likely to raise questions about how well the airport's power supply is protected.
For the latest fire warnings, check Emergency WA or call the DFES information line on 13 33 37.
Sources: Perth Airport, Western Power and Jetstar statements as reported by The West Australian and PerthNow; DFES via Emergency WA.
Photo: Orderinchaos via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). File photo of the Terminal 1 domestic departures doors, not taken during Thursday's outage.
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