Stranded passengers upset by airport treatment

Some travellers say they were humiliated by the conditions they were expected to spend the night in. Photo / Natalie Slade

Passengers stranded by Auckland International Airport's temporary closure say elderly people and children were left to fend for themselves overnight in airports around the country, leaving them distressed and embarrassed.

Airlines rushed to place travellers in hotels on Saturday night after 22 flights were diverted and delayed because of the failure of runway lights at Auckland airport.

But limited accommodation in Christchurch meant many people spent the night in the terminal. Passengers were also left to rough it on airport chairs in Auckland.

Tongan Advisory Council chairman Melino Maka said some of his colleagues were travelling to New Zealand for the first time, and were humiliated by their treatment.

His flight from Tonga to Auckland was diverted to Wellington, then Christchurch.

Mr Maka said people in their 70s, as well as wheelchair-bound friends, had to sleep in uncomfortable conditions in Christchurch airport.

"Some of them had very little English, and did not know where they were. I looked everywhere for staff, for help, and there was no one."

The responsibility for passengers usually lay with the airline. Mr Maka said he expected more advice and direction from Air New Zealand.

Air New Zealand has said the inconvenience to passengers was unfortunate but the delays were outside the airline's control.

Uncertainty about how long the fault would take to fix made it difficult for the airline to know whether it should place people in hotels.

Auckland airport spokesman Richard Llewellyn said that passengers were placed in accommodation on a case-by-case basis.

Priority was given to families or people who needed assistance.

Those who were left to sleep in the airport were given blankets and food vouchers.

Airways Corporation, the government subsidiary responsible for the lights failure, has apologised to passengers and airlines.

The company was expecting to meet Air New Zealand to discuss compensation for the airline.

The cause of the failure was not known, but Airways Corporation said cable removed from the runway indicated damage caused by lightning strikes.

The fault occurred on a 120m section of cable, which was replaced yesterday.

The dual cables which feed to the runway lights were fed by a single point, which failed at 8.10pm on Saturday evening.