how can a modern terminal lose power and have no back up?
Are you aware just what size of generator would be required to power Gatwick Airport in such an event of unforeseen circumstances?
I live in a location of frequent power outages, I have a generator, but in my small establishment, what with electric hot showers, air conditioning units, fridges, freezers, kitchen equipments, ring mains, fans, electric lights and so on, to power some 80KW I would need something like a 100KVA generator, a 100KVA generator would be about the size of a truck!
Now you go around LGW and you count all the air cons, the light bulbs, the airfield lighting, everything that is plugged in to the ring mains etc. etc. etc. and you go and figure out how many KW's LGW would need to provide for during a power outage and I'd suggest the LGW would actually need it's own generating power station!
And as for it just being a London airport, you mean this wouldn't of happened had it been MAN, BHX, GLA etc?
And unless Boris Island is anticipated to have it's own generating power station the same would happen there also!