Travelers face long delays at Hong Kong airport as computer services break down

This Jan 5, 2023 picture shows passengers checking in for their flight at Hong Kong International Airport. PHOTO AFP HONG KONG Travelers were faced with delays to check-in at the Hong Kong International Airport on Thursday after computer services broke down, with footage showing scores of people stuck in queues with their luggage.

The Airport Authority, which manages the facility, apologized for the service disruption.

The authority said it found bugs in its computer system during regular testing and maintenance in the early hours of Thursday.

It added that the glitches affected check-in procedures between aisles A and E.

The emergency response system was immediately activated, and it arranged for the airlines affected to use other aisles.

It added that part of the facilities were back up and running from 8 am.

Cathay Pacific Airways, the city's flagship carrier, was one of the most affected, according to local media.

Hong Kong's airport was one of the busiest international hubs before the COVID-19 epidemic, with more than 71 million passengers in 2019.

Since the outbreak of the Pandemic, the number of tourists arriving in Hong Kong has exceeded 1 million for the first time since the end of the epidemic three years ago, after the lifting of the pandemic curbs and resumption of normal travel.

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The Hong Kong Tourism Board said on Wednesday that the number of visitor arrivals in February was 1.462 million, three times more than the number recorded in January.