Auckland, NZ, control tower left unstaffed as 10 aircraft circle.
Can this be for real?
-----
AUCKLAND, New Zealand, April 19 (AP) -- Ten aircraft were forced to circle New Zealand's busiest airport while the only air traffic controller on duty took a rest break.
The planes were in no danger -- they just could not land at the Auckland airport for about 25 minutes on Wednesday, Airways Corp. chief operating officer Ashley Smout said Thursday.
Two controllers were out sick, a replacement controller was stuck in traffic and the only controller on duty had to take a break, officials said.
The staffer "absolutely had to have his break after working three continuous hours," spokeswoman Heather Hayden said. "It really is unusual."
Pilots of circling planes were informed and takeoffs halted as air control was shut down. Air traffic control in Christchurch continued its radar monitoring of the area. But had an aircraft needed to make an emergency landing, the pilot would have been no help from the tower.
"Everything possible is being done to ensure this very rare occurrence does not happen again," Smout said.