Officials at New Zealand's Dunedin International Airport are "surprised how much global interest" a time-limit on curbside farewell embraces has garnered.

Travelers leaving the New Zealand city of Dunedin will have to keep their emotional farewells brief after a new three-minute time limit was imposed on goodbye hugs in the airport’s drop-off area in order to prevent lingering cuddles from causing traffic jams.

I’m not a big hugger. Twenty seconds tops for me,” joked the airport chief as he demonstrated a hug for his staff. Longer embraces can be had away from the drop-off zone.