Computer failure delays flights

Air New Zealand flights were delayed by up to 40 minutes during a two-hour computer failure yesterday, which caused hold-ups at airport check-in counters throughout the country.

Passengers were given hand-written seat numbers to board flights after a mainframe computer failed at the airline's primary data centre in Auckland at 11.19am.

Airline spokeswoman Rosie Paul said the disruption was far less serious than that caused by a blackout over much of the country's telecommunications network on Monday.

Travellers suffered delays of 25 minutes or more when the loss of internet and email links during that failure forced the airline to check in passengers manually.

Ms Paul refused to provide details of the numbers of flights delayed yesterday, or for how long, saying the latest disruption was "very temporary" compared to those on Monday.

But a Herald journalist on his way to Invercargill for last night's rugby match between the Lions and Southland said his flight left Auckland 40 minutes late.

He said there was a "pretty chaotic" scene at Auckland Airport as check-in staff struggled to issue hand-written tickets to passengers.

Several connecting flights from Christchurch waited for half an hour or so for late arrivals from Auckland.