- Check-in services between aisles A to D, mainly for Cathay Pacific Airways, have been affected
- Systems went down at about 5am, and the congestion appeared to ease at around 10am
The departure hall of Hong Kong’s airport is packed with passengers whose flights are delayed. Photo: Sam TsangA computer system breakdown at Hong Kong’s airport delayed at least 50 Cathay Pacific Airways flights between Wednesday midnight and 11am on Thursday, leaving hundreds of travellers stranded at the departure hall.
The Airport Authority, which manages the facility, apologised for the service disruption. The flight delays ranged from a few minutes to an hour.
The authority said it found glitches in its computer system during regular testing and maintenance in the early hours of Thursday, which subsequently affected services in the southern departure hall and check-in procedures between aisles A and E.
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The authority said it had informed airlines concerned and directed travellers to the northern departure hall. The disrupted services were gradually restored from about 8am.
EGL Tours executive director Steve Huen Kwok-chuen earlier told the Post that the breakdown had affected departing passengers and services at the immigration hall.
Computer systems serving airlines – primarily city flag carrier Cathay – between aisles A to D went down at about 5am, leading to check-in services shifting to aisle F, he said.
Other services at the southern section of the immigration hall had also broken down, Huen added.
According to the authority’s website, most delays involved Cathay flights after midnight. Departures were mostly affected between 8am and 11am.
Cathay said in a statement it expected check-in processes to take longer and urged passengers to arrive at the airport earlier prior to their scheduled departure time.
The congestion appeared to ease at around 10am, with passengers returning to aisles A to D for check-in services.
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A retiree in his sixties, who only gave his surname as Mok, said he arrived at the airport earlier than usual at 10.40am for his flight to mainland China, which was set for take-off after 2pm. He had heard about news of the check-in delays.
“But I’m not that worried as I believe there must be some emergency measures if there were problems and delays,” he said.
Also among passengers concerned about possible flight delays was university student Yoyo Wong, who arrived at the airport at about 11.45am to catch her 4pm flight to South Korea. After learning about the delays in the morning, the year two student said she decided to leave home early and took a bus to the airport, although she would normally arrive only two hours before departure.
“I was worried that my flight would be affected and delayed,” she said. “My friend and I have planned for this trip for a long time.”