New Zealand earthquake shuts down flights out of the country
New Zealand earthquake: Air traffic control operations for New Zealand are located in Christchurch, where the air traffic control building may have been damaged by Tuesday's earthquake. All international flights from New Zealand have been suspended.
Auckland Airport spokesman Richard Llewellyn told the New Zealand Herald that the nation's entire airways system had been shut down shortly after the earthquake hit Christchurch, damaging downtown office buildings and trapping workers. TVNZ reports fatalities from two buses crushed by falling buildings.
"For the moment planes are landing but no planes are departing,'' Mr. Llewellyn told NZPA.
"The national air traffic control centre is in Christchurch, and they are checking to make sure it is all OK, and until then the airways system has been closed."
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