An air traffic control "technical fault" has caused disruptions to air sector services tonight, closing Oceania airspace and forcing trans-Tasman flights to circle off the New Zealand coast

Several flights headed for Australia circled in a holding pattern after the outage hit.

Some flights have been cancelled and others delayed.

A New Zealand passenger on a delayed flight from Australia was told "technical issues" were to blame.

The Civil Aviation Authority confirmed a "technical fault" in the main Operational Control System platform had "temporarily disrupted air traffic services across several sectors".

The CAA says the problem has since been resolved, and Oceania airspace is now open.