The lights failed at 8.10pm and were not restored for eight hours, leading to 17 international and domestic flights being diverted and others being delayed.
Many passengers spent an uncomfortable night at airports around the country while others were sent to hotels.
Airport authorities said initially the fault may have been caused by a lightning strike some time ago.
Temporary repairs were made to a 120 metre section of the cable to get the lights back on and today work began on replacing the 30km network of cable which the Airways Corporation said could take several days.
The corporation, which is responsible for the lighting, has apologised for the blackout and begin an inquiry into the cause.
State-owned Enterprises Minister Simon Power has also called for a full report on the incident.
Compensation issues are also being discussed between airlines and the corporation.
