The footage shows three baggage handlers in yellow vests unloading luggage and surfboards from a Qantas jet, unaware they are being filmed.

Video has emerged of surfers watching in shock as baggage handlers biff their surfboards onto the tarmac at Auckland Airport.

The footage, filmed from the airport's international terminal and posted to Facebook, shows three baggage handlers in yellow vests unloading luggage and surfboards from a Qantas jet, unaware they are being filmed.

The surfboard owners watch in horror as the handlers drop four boards onto the tarmac despite them being labelled with fragile tags.

DAVID GRAY / REUTERS Qantas requires all surfboards to be checked in with fragile tags attached to surfboard bags.

"They just biffed our boards on the ground," said one of the board owners.

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"If there's any damage we can fully wreck these guys," another can be heard saying.

The video was posted to Auckland Airport's Facebook page where a staff member said the incident had been referred to Qantas.

There are three privately owned ground handling companies operating at Auckland Airport which airlines contract to.

A Qantas spokesman said it had been made aware of the video and was investigating the matter.

The airline apologised to the affected customers and acknowledged that it was an unacceptable way for surfboards, or any goods, to be handled.

An Auckland Airport spokesman said Menzies Aviation provides Qantas with ground handling services. The firm has been approached for comment.

It was unclear whether the boards were damaged or not.

Even professional surfers are not immune to heavy handed baggage handlers with top Hawaiian surfer John John Florence posting a photo of damage done to his surfboards while flying American low-cost airline JetBlue last year.

Just wanted to say A big thanks to @jetblue for treating my poor board bag like this and telling me your not responsible !! Haha I paid 500$ for this new shape to my board A photo posted by John john Florence (@john_john_florence) on Nov 4, 2015 at 11:38am PST

Surfing New Zealand spokesman Ben Kennings said most airlines required surfers to sign a waiver excusing the carrier of any damage to surfboards which he had always found "pretty odd".

Baggage handlers should be well aware of surfboards especially if they were labelled with fragile tags, he said.

"The baggage should be handled with care, certainly not chucked around," Kennings said.

"It's probably an indication of how they handle a lot of baggage."

Many airlines required passengers to pay extra for checking in surfboards, upwards of $60, Kennings said.

"You would expect a decent level of service for that price."

Surfers wanting to protect their boards when flying should pack their boards well in a good quality boardbag and remove all fins.

But ultimately it was out of surfers' hands whether their boards got damaged or not.

"As soon as it goes through that gate it's in the hand of the baggage handlers."

There were "surfboard-friendly" airlines which catered for surfers, charging no extra fees and taking extra care of surfboards, he said.