Stranded travellers return to Wellington Airport after fire disruption

Travellers left stranded following Friday night’s fire at Wellington Airport are back on Saturday, trying to rebook flights and retrieve their luggage.

The southwest pier and main terminal building were evacuated after a fire activated smoke alarms about 7.45pm.

Nine fire trucks responded and passengers told RNZ they could see and smell a lot of smoke as sirens went off. Several people told RNZ they saw flames.

Flights in and out of the airport were on hold for about four hours, with the first two flights following the fire - a Qantas and an Air New Zealand service from Sydney - landing about midnight.

At Wellington Airport on Saturday morning passengers were trickling back in to try and and get on flights, some after having to leave their bags and evacuate on Friday night.

The fire is believed to have been in the roof of the terminal, with some damage and debris visible through a window at the southern end of the domestic terminal. RNZ’s reporter on the scene saw a fire investigator near gate 18.

Music was playing from coffee shops where staff were unloading fresh pastries and sandwiches and TVs were screening the Football World Cup.

One passenger said he had a flight to Auckland cancelled, but managed to get another flight soon afterwards.

RNZ spoke to him as he queued for a flight to Blenheim. He said he was very happy with Air New Zealand’s organised and rapid response.

Wellington Airport advised passengers to check with their airlines for information about specific flights.

“The airport will be open as usual tomorrow [Saturday], however there may be some flow-on disruptions to flights so passengers are advised to check directly with their airlines,” a spokesperson said.

“We understand it was a disconcerting experience for people and apologise for the inconvenience. Our number one priority is always safety which is why we quickly and safely evacuated the terminal. We provided food, drinks and blankets along with updates for affected passengers and staff.”

Air New Zealand chief operations officer - ground and inflight Kate Boyer said the airline expect services in and out of Wellington to operate as scheduled today.

However, its first flight of the day - due to depart at 6am - was cancelled and customers rebooked.

“We are adding additional seats where possible to help accommodate all customers whose travel plans were disrupted last night.

“Flexibility has also now been added for customers booked on any Wellington flights today, Saturday 13 June, giving them the option to change their flight free of charge to another time that suits them. Where possible, we encourage customers to self-serve via the Air NZ app.”

Boyer said staff had worked hard to help passengers who were affected by the flight disruptions.

Fire and Emergency (FENZ) said it handed the scene over to Wellington Airport around 11pm last night. A specialist investigator would arrive Saturday morning to determine the cause of the fire.

Some passengers said the evacuation was disorganised, with a lack of communication both during the evacuation and in the aftermath.

One woman described the evacuation as “chaos”, and said gate staff appeared confused as passengers who had already boarded were evacuated off the plane.

More than one hundred people were still outside the airport hours after the fire started, attempting to find out information and access their luggage. Airport staff told them to return on Saturday morning.

Night without necessities

A family on their way to Nelson was left without a change of clothes or toiletries overnight after their flight was canceled.

The Treadaway family were reunited with their bags on Saturday morning after spending a night in a Wellington hotel. They were given seats on a 10am flight to Nelson.

Dad Steven says it could have been worse. He said he heard an alarm on Friday night while in the airport lounge that would not go off, then saw smoke pouring out of a terminal building’s roof.

He said it was not too scary as it seemed there was not any immediate danger. He said the worst part was standing out in the cold, and there were elderly people who would have been very uncomfortable.

In a statement on Friday night, Air New Zealand spokesperson Kate Boyer said customers booked to travel had been given the ability to change their flights free of charge, and should check the AirNZ app for the latest information.

A Jetstar spokesperson said its operations were not significantly affected by the fire, but its last flight of the evening from Wellington to Christchurch experienced a minor delay in departure.

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