A message to airlines from Auckland Airport seen by the Business Herald said it did not know what time the service would be restored. Cabling contractors were working on the problem at the airport which is in the midst of a multi-million dollar infrastructure upgrade.
The airline boss, speaking on condition of anonymity, said currently the baggage system was completely jammed due to the number of tags being pushed into the system and the need for more manual work by airline staff.
He likened it to a Third World disgrace.
Overnight delays stretched for hours.
In a statement, Auckland Airport did not detail the cause of the the problem, calling it an “emerging issue” but saying domestic travel was not affected.
“Auckland Airport wishes to advise travellers that this is creating delays and congestion in the international check-in area, and causing slower than usual processes for some airlines checking-in passengers,“ said a spokesperson.
Board of Airline Representatives executive director Cath O’Brien told the Herald the latest problem came on top of a range of issues with the baggage system recently.
“Today’s IT outage looks like a new issue, but this is also affecting the baggage system, which is still facing challenges following earlier works,” she said.
“As we head into the busiest period of the year airlines encourage Auckland Airport to continue to do all they can to recover check-in and baggage systems so that travellers can be checked in and begin their journeys without delay.“
Grant Bradley has been working at the Herald since 1993. He is the Business Herald’s deputy editor and covers aviation and tourism.