Stop-work causes little upset to passengers

Press, 4 February 1986, Page 8

Stop-work causes little upset to passengers

The stop-work meeting of Air New Zealand pilots in Christchurch yesterday caused surprisingly little travel disruption, in spite of the cancellation of 14 domestic flights. Mr Neil Nisbet, head of Air New Zealand’s passenger services at Christchurch Airport, said the first flight to leave the airport yesterday took off at 1.46 p.m. There were 28 scheduled departures for the day of which 14 were cancelled. No international flights from Christchurch were affected.

Most travellers were aware of the stop-work meeting and had rearranged their travel plans. An estimated 700 extra passengers were carried on scheduled flights on Sunday, he said.

A dozen passengers managed to beat the stop-

page by flying to Wellington on special flights put on by Associated Air and Goldfield Air. Mr Nisbet said only “a few hundred” passengers had been in touch with Air New Zealand yesterday to be put on later flights. He was confident they would leave Christchurch later in the evening. Stop-work meetings were also held in Wellington and Auckland and about 100 flights affecting 6000 passengers were grounded throughout New Zealand. Mr Vem Mitchell, Air New Zealand’s public affairs spokesman, said the first flights were in the air by 12.30 p.m. and the airline was working normally by the mid-afternoon. Many people had cancelled their flights or rebooked when they heard

of the stop-work meetings, and it was difficult to tell how many would have to be accommodated in later flights, he said. The airline was short of seats on some flights yesterday afternoon, but the passenger back-log should be cleared today, said Mr Mitchell.

Captain lan McAulay, president of the Airline Pilots’ Association, said in Auckland yesterday afternoon that almost 100 per cent of the association’s 520 members had attended the meetings. “They resolved to support their elected representatives and an increasing programme of industrial activity,” he said.

The nature of this activity was in the hands of the Air New Zealand Pilots’ Council which would meet the airline to attempt to resolve their differences,

said Captain McAulay. Captain Tony Dodwell, industrial director of the association, said only five pilots at the three meetings had not supported further industrial activity. The Air New Zealand Pilots’ Council decided yesterday afternoon that another stop-work meeting would be held on February 17, unless substantial progress was made in talks with the company, he said. Specific claims would not be made at this stage, he said. The large number of small issues made it more important to develop a harmonious relationship with the company. “In two weeks time we must be able to get back to the troops and say what has been achieved,” said Captain Dodwell.