All Air New Zealand flights to and from Wellington Airport, New Zealand, have been suspended after a fire broke out in the main terminal on Friday. Hundreds of passengers were reportedly stranded, unable to continue their journey or retrieve their luggage. The airport said the southwest wing and main terminal building were evacuated after a smoke alarm was activated. It said no injuries were reported, and the airport's Fire Department and Fire Service were at the scene.

According to the Fire Department, the first signal was received via the automatic alarm system at 19:15 p.m. A total of 9 fire engines responded to the incident, while the operation was upgraded to a level two alarm. Later, a service spokesman reported that the fire appeared to have started in a car, causing the sprinkler system to be activated. However, it was not possible to confirm whether the incident occurred inside or outside the building. During the evacuation, ground staff informed passengers that they would not be able to retrieve luggage that had already been checked in or remained on the plane, urging them to return on Saturday. The announcement caused strong reactions and irritation.

Several passengers in the terminal described scenes of confusion, with smoke billowing from the building and a strong smell of burning. Some spoke of a lack of information and delays in providing instructions, while others praised the effective management of the evacuation by staff. By late evening, most of the evacuated passengers had left the airport. Passengers who remained at the scene were given blankets, water and food. Air New Zealand said flights to and from the capital remained suspended until further notice, offering passengers the option to change their bookings free of charge. Jetstar reported minimal impact from the incident, while Sounds Air announced delays on some routes until the airport is given the green light to fully reopen.