A network outage earlier this morning is causing significant delays and congestion at Auckland International Airport, particularly in the international check-in area.

While domestic travel remained unaffected, the outage forced airlines to use manual check-in processes, creating a backlog and delaying flights.

Auckland Airport has confirmed that the external network outage at the international terminal has now been resolved. Systems have been restored, and the airport is working closely with airlines to process passengers as quickly as possible.

Earlier this morning, airlines needed to use manual processes to check in customers, slowing check-in processes, creating congestion, and delaying flights.

Jetstar Passengers Face Prolonged Delays

Jetstar passengers waiting for hours at Auckland Airport told RNZ they had not received any communication about the delays. According to the airport’s live departures board, the following Jetstar flights were delayed today:

• JQ202 to Sydney (6.20am), delayed to 3.10pm
• JQ152 to Brisbane (6.45am), delayed to 10.15am
• JQ132 to Gold Coast (7am), delayed to 10am
• JQ132 to Gold Coast (4.35pm), new time of 6pm

Air New Zealand issued a statement addressing the delays at 8.30am, but Jetstar’s only media communication came in the form of a press release at 9.15am regarding updated Christmas crackers.

Related Disruption: Wellington Council Payments Affected

In addition to the airport issues, Wellington City Council announced that its online payments system is "currently experiencing an outage."

At this stage, it is not clear if this disruption is related to the network issues that affected Auckland Airport.

Auckland Airport’s Advice for Contacting Airlines

Passengers travelling internationally today are being urged to contact their airlines for updates. Auckland Airport has provided the following guidance:

• Use airline websites and online self-service options to check flight statuses or make changes.
• If you originally booked through a travel agent in your home country, contact them directly. Alternatively, New Zealand-based travel agents may assist in finding available seats with other operating airlines.
• Contact your airline by phone. Most airlines have 24/7 call centres, but be prepared for long wait times.
• If you have travel insurance, use the insurer’s emergency assistance phone number for advice on rebooking your flight.
• For new flights, ensure you check border restrictions for your return journey, including transits. The IATA website offers a country-by-country list of border restrictions.
• If all other options are exhausted, contact your country’s embassy, High Commission, or consulate for assistance. A list of Foreign Representatives in New Zealand is available online.