Major disruption is unfolding at Auckland International Airport this evening after a fire in an air-conditioning vent sparked evacuations.
An airport spokesman said the fire had been put out by a sprinkler system and airport emergency services were assessing the situation. Fire and emergency crews had also been sent to the scene.
The emergency, which began just before 6pm, has proved disastrous for travellers as evacuations of the international terminal's check in, departures and baggage hall had taken place.
The spokesman said arriving passengers were either being kept on their planes, on buses or in the airport area before customs and passport control.
Among those held up were members of the Sydney Kings basketball team.
Those who were departing and had already gone through customs and passport control hadn't been evacuated but processing of passengers had stopped.
He didn't know if people already airside would be able to board their planes, and at 7.45pm did not yet know when the evacuation would end.
In an earlier tweet, the airport wrote it was "awaiting approval from the Emergency Services crew before we can allow everyone back into the evacuated areas".
"Thank you for your patience."
A person at the airport wrote on Twitter that he'd "Just got loaded on to buses on the airside. No idea where we are going ..."
At 7.20pm he added that there were people on phones "cancelling various plans for the evening".
