Flights delayed after system failure

File photo / Janna Dixon

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A failure involving a Telecom communications network vital to air traffic control has delayed flights throughout the upper North Island this afternoon.

Airways NZ issued a statement saying the 15-minute service outage from 1.03pm was caused by a problem in the system that transmits voice and telephone information between air traffic controllers and pilots.

An initial investigation found the problem was caused by a failure in Telecom circuits, the statement said.

The organisation was working with Telecom to investigate the incident.

Flight delays from the failure were mainly in the upper North Island.

Airborne planes were forced to continue to their destinations using satellite standby radios due to the communications outage.

Departing flights were held on the ground at some airports as a safety precaution.

An Air New Zealand spokeswoman confirmed there would be delays to the airline's domestic schedule this afternoon.

The airline's website showed several flights into domestic airports were expected to be delayed by up to an hour.

Airways is responsible for controlling all air movements within New Zealand's 30 million square kilometres of controlled airspace.

It has 750 staff managing air traffic control centres and radar towers across the country.

- NZHERALD STAFF