Flight operations at Hawke's Bay Airport were disrupted for a short time yesterday as fire broke out in the terminal roof above Air New Zealand's staff lunchroom.
The Fire Service was alerted by private fire alarm at 6.55am, and crews started to fear the worst as they left their Napier station and saw the smoke from about 1km away.
Station officer Peter Draper said the terminal had been evacuated by the time the two Napier crews arrived.
Airport fire staff were understood to have assisted in the evacuation before the Fire Service crews, using breathing apparatus and with help from a further crew from Hastings, broke into the ceiling and extinguished the fire. They were at the scene about an hour.
Hawke's Bay MPs Chris Tremain and Craig Foss had just boarded an aircraft, fully-booked and awaiting takeoff for Wellington, when they and fellow passengers saw smoke billowing from the northern end of the terminal.