Power outages at Las Vegas airport due to copper theft

On Monday, an attempted copper wire theft at an energy substation caused a temporary power outage affecting a few customers, with the most significant impact felt at Harry Reid International Airport. The outage started around 3:15 p.m., and while power was restored to most by the evening, one customer remained without power into the night. The airport experienced two outages on the same day, with the first impacting Terminal 3 and the second affecting C gates in Terminal 1. These power outages can lead to delays as electronic systems, including plane doors, malfunction. Copper theft at energy facilities has been an ongoing issue, raising concerns about not just service interruptions but also safety. From a transportation perspective, the consequences of such incidents extend beyond immediate outages; they disrupt operations, affect passenger experience, and can lead to significant economic impacts for airlines and travelers. Improved security measures at substations and collaboration with law enforcement may be needed to deter these thefts and protect critical infrastructure from such vulnerabilities.