Interesting question.
Airports and ATC don’t rely only on the public power grid. They have backup generators, redundant systems, and contingency plans specifically for scenarios like power outages. Aviation infrastructure is built with that in mind.
So if there was a general grid collapse, flights wouldn’t automatically stop. But it depends how widespread and how long the outage is. If airports lose fuel systems, communications, radar, or ground handling capability and backups fail or run out, then yes, operations could get suspended pretty quickly.
Airlines also make their own safety calls. Even if technically possible, they might cancel if conditions are unstable.
Short answer: power is required for ATC and airport ops, but there are backups. Total nationwide darkness doesn’t automatically mean zero flights, but it definitely increases the risk of disruptions.
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