Fire on escalator leading to the Qantas Airlines lounge at Wellington International Airport

A fire broke out on an escalator leading to the Qantas Airlines lounge in the main terminal building at Wellington International Airport (NZWN/WLG) at approximately 1400 local time (0100 UTC) on 20 October 2008. There were no reports of injuries. According to airport officials, the airport was closed briefly, grounding more than 40 flights and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of people, while firefighters brought the fire under control. The airport has since reopened and all outbound and inbound flights are taking off normally. The fire reportedly caused significant damage to the escalator system, but the main terminal remains open and operational.