By SCOTT MacLEOD and GREGG WYCHERLEY
Auckland Airport was left without air traffic controllers for 25 minutes yesterday morning, delaying up to 15 flights in the air and on the ground.
Hundreds of passengers were stuck inside aircraft during the delay, which happened because four air traffic controllers were sick and a replacement controller was held up in traffic.
Airways Corporation admitted that up to 10 planes marked time in the air and a further four or five planes waited on the ground while the control tower was out of action.
The incident has sparked concerns about controller staffing cuts and is a blow to the airport's image.
It has also raised questions of whether all pilots were adequately warned. An Air New Zealand pilot claimed that no notice was issued the night before the shutdown, when it became apparent that the tower could be undermanned the next day. But the state-owned Airways Corporation says it did put out a warning about 7.15 pm on Tuesday, and had no fears about safety.
The corporation, which handles air traffic control, said the tower was forced out of action between 9.30 am and 9.55 am.
Airways Corporation air traffic service manager Garry Hood said a controller, due to work on Wednesday morning, called in sick the night before. That meant the tower was reduced to just one controller from 8 am until 9.30 am.
The tower shut down when a relief controller due to start work at 9.30 am got stuck in traffic and the sole controller had to take a break after working the maximum three-hour stretch allowed by regulation.
Mr Hood said: "We hoped he'd be there by 9.30 but he didn't make it, so we had that break in service."
Air New Zealand said the shutdown delayed one of the airline's international flights by 30 minutes, and another by 15 minutes.
Airways Corporation chief operating officer Ashley Smout believed it was the first time that the Auckland tower had run out of staff.
"It's a very, very rare occurrence."
The corporation said two staff had long-term illnesses and another two were sick at short notice.
But Airways staff the Herald spoke to said staffing levels at Auckland Airport had been reduced to a point where even normal staff problems sometimes could not be covered.
One worker, who asked not to be named, said: "People have been working to absolute maximums - 9-and-a-half-hour shifts. That's the legal maximum. They are doing everything to maintain safety, but the cost is that it slows down aircraft."
Another said the airport could have been shut for 2 1/2 hours yesterday afternoon, had anyone else fallen sick.
The person said the problem was caused by "severe staff shortages," in which just one person was sometimes left manning the tower.
"There's been a build-up to this in the past two weeks, but it goes back 18 months to when Airways Corp centralised in Christchurch and people were made redundant.
"The effect is pretty dire - where there used to be three, there is now one."
The tower handles takeoffs, landings and taxiing for domestic and international flights. Christchurch controllers handle planes that are approaching or leaving Greater Auckland.
Mr Smout said there was no issue with safety because the planes were flying in different areas, were in contact with each other, and would not have strayed into each other's path.
Mr Smout said Airways Corporation was "working towards staff numbers" and hoped to "re-establish at appropriate levels" within the next year.
He said contingency plans were in place that would ensure there were no problems today.
Transport Minister Mark Gosche has been briefed on the situation and will investigate.
Mark Burton, Minister for State Owned Enterprises, including Airways Corporation, has also been advised of the problem.
National Party transport spokeswoman Belinda Vernon said Airways had acknowledged staffing shortages during a meeting a couple of weeks ago, but had given an assurance that the situation was under control.
"Today sounds very serious. The most important thing here is the safety issue - that they have a backup plan."
News that Auckland Airport, which handles 76 international and 329 domestic flights daily and bills itself as a 24-hour "no-curfew" operation, could be shut down for 25 minutes has worried tourism operators.
Auckland Tourism chief executive Graeme Osborne said: "We are measured on first appearances - of that there is no question. The paramount issue is to get it sorted out full stop."
But Mr Osborne said passenger safety was the most important issue.
Yesterday's problem comes just days after a similar situation affected air traffic over the upper half of the North Island.
Last Thursday, just a day before the busy Easter break, pilots were warned of potential delays at Auckland Airport due to a staff shortage.
A notice to pilots, known as a Notam, was issued by Airways, warning of potential delays on April 12 from 4 am until 10 am. The same day, another notice was issued warning pilots of possible delays for the Bay of Plenty, Rotorua and Hamilton because of a staff shortage at the Christchurch radar control centre.
An Air NZ pilot told the Herald that air traffic controllers were already under intense pressure and staff shortages made it worse.
"As a pilot who operates in the New Zealand airspace an awful lot, I am continually astounded by the number of aircraft some of our controllers are individually handling at one time on one frequency."
Air traffic control at NZ airports has made headlines before.
Three days before Christmas in 1999, air traffic was delayed when communications links between air traffic radar controllers failed.
Most domestic and international flights were grounded during the busiest time of the year.
In January last year, the corporation was forced to train extra controllers after a restructuring gaffe.
The corporation had hoped enough controllers would shift from Auckland to Christchurch to staff the new centre there. But 17 controllers opted for redundancy.
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