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Travellers in New Zealand faced widespread disruptions on 12 December 2024 as Air New Zealand and Auckland Airport were both affected by technology failures.
Air New Zealand Outage Causes Short Delays
Air New Zealand experienced a temporary system outage at 12:43 PM, halting its departure control and reservation systems for 15 minutes. This outage forced staff to resort to manual check-in and boarding processes, leading to delays across the airline’s network.
One passenger waiting at Wellington Airport reported hearing about “nationwide issues” over the public address system, highlighting the widespread impact of the disruption. Kate Boyer, Air New Zealand’s General Manager of Airports, acknowledged the situation, stating,
“The system is now fully operational. We thank customers for their patience and understanding.” The exact cause of the outage remains under investigation.
Auckland Airport Faces Widespread Check-In Chaos
Auckland Airport dealt with a far more extensive disruption on 11 December 2024. A fault in a communication switch led to an external network outage, crippling the international check-in system. As a result, 18 international departures were delayed, and long queues of passengers stretched outside the terminal, leaving hundreds waiting to board.
Auckland Airport’s Chief Operations Officer, Chloe Surridge, explained that the communication switch failure affected one of the airport’s fibre network providers, cutting off access to a global airline technology provider that the check-in system relied upon.
Surridge clarified that this outage was unrelated to the airport’s ongoing baggage system upgrades, despite the airport experiencing 23 outages in its ageing baggage system in recent months.
“As you know, we’re building a new baggage system, and that will be part of the integrated terminal development programme. In order for us to have that new baggage system, we also have to upgrade the old one, which is 30 years old,” she explained.
Challenges for Aviation Amid High Travel Demand
Both incidents occurred during a period of heightened travel demand as airlines prepared for the busy summer season. “It’s a bit like changing the wheel on your car while the car is going,” Surridge noted, emphasising the difficulty of implementing infrastructure upgrades without disrupting operations.
The outages reflects the vulnerabilities in aviation technology. Airports and airlines today are increasingly rely on interconnected digital systems, even minor faults can lead to cascading disruptions, significantly affecting passengers and operations.
Looking Ahead
The recent outages highlight the pressing need for resilient technology systems in aviation. Airlines and airports must prioritise robust upgrades, with growing passenger numbers and increasing reliance on digital infrastructure, build redundancy into their networks, and implement swift recovery strategies to minimise the impact of future disruptions.
For travellers and aviation stakeholders, these events reinforce the importance of proactive measures to ensure seamless travel experiences amidst technological advances.