After a while an airport company car drove slowly around announcing something over a pa. The sound quality was poor and the wind didn't help - so no one could hear what they were saying even if standing close.
Some time later a PR flyer was handed out by the airport company. The wording is below - see how many mistakes there are.
Media Advice
At approximately 8am this morning, a bomb threat was received from flight NZ2279. The aircraft was an Air National J32 aircraft operated by Eagle Air and was on route from Oamaru to Christchurch.
The aircraft has landed and all passengers and crew have disembarked. The police and the armed defenders squad have surrounded and are securing the area.
All flights are currently on hold and this will be reviewed regularly. The airport terminals are operational but passengers should expect delays getting to the airport.
Police will be releasing an official comment at 10.30am.
A further update from Christchurch International Airport Ltd will be issued later this morning.
... END
At this stage the terminals were still closed and traffic had only just been allowed to leave the airport.
Later still traffic was allowed to arrive at the airport and I met up with
CHC Kiwi + travel companions. The international terminal had just reopened so they were able to check in right away.
Someone at Pacific Blue was thinking - they announced check in for domestic flight would be done at international terminal and they'd use an international gate. NZ, like Australia, has the ability to have domestic flights through international terminal, although they only have a few a week so possibly couldn't cope with too many of them in these unusual circumstances.
I don't think they succeeded in the end, but at least they gave it a go.
Naturally with one of the 3 main airports out of operation for a few hours all 3 domestic airlines' operations were massively disrupted with a/c parked up in the wrong airports, cancelled and delayed flights and thousands of passengers stuck at Christchurch still wanting to travel.
Eventually the domestic terminal was reopened with a plea to let staff enter first and set up before passengers enter. Once it was opened it was chaos inside. Very little room to move. Many passengers who had already checked in needed to claim their bags from the carousel and recheck. Total confusion as to which flights were still operating and which weren't. Information on the displays changing by the minute (and no information at all for Air Chathams). Gates changed frequently. Flights left from gates that would not usually be used for that aircraft type. Passengers were rebooked for flights out of Christchurch and also for their connecting flights where relevant.
The door to the satellite terminal remained closed for some minutes so I popped outside to get away from the crush. When I noticed it opening I made my way through the throng to the satellite terminal figuring this was the easiest place to find out if my flight was still operating and when would it depart.
There was a question in my mind as to whether or not it would fly. The reason is that ex-Cyclone Gene (by now a powerful mid-latitude storm) was bearing down on the Chatham Islands and potentially be severe enough to cancel the flight. When I last checked earlier in the morning the storm was due to reach the islands in the afternoon. With no alternate airport to use and being towards the edge of the range of the aircraft there was a chance (I thought) that the flights would be cancelled.
The satellite terminal filled with passengers for 2 Pacific Blue flights - yes both their domestic aircraft were sitting here. Outside I could see several aircraft being towed into place, a procession of aircraft landing from elsewhere, and in the background the Jetstream32 was finally driven off the runway and into a parking spot in front of a hangar - with an escort of several vehicles.
One of the Pacific Blue flights boarded, only to disembark moments later when someone realised none of the passengers (or their carry-ons) had been rescreened following the terminal evacuation. Oops. A lapse at the best of times and a bad one today of all days.
I've experienced airport closures for all sorts of odd reasons - power cuts, weather, presidential visit. This is the first time I've been close(ish) to a hijacking attempt. Hopefully it will be the only time.