'No Overseas Air Services’

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31236, 7 December 1966, Page 21

'No Overseas Air Services’

(NZ- Press Association—Copyrights SYDNEY, December 6. A spokesman for the Australian Federation of Air Pilots said this afternoon Australia would have no overseas air services if the Federal Government acted against Qantas pilots.

This would be the outcome of a meeting of the International Federation of Air Pilots’ Associations which had been held in Dublin, he said.

“Pilots of all other major airlines have decided unanimously to support the Qantas pilots to the limit,” the spokesman said. “If any action is taken against a Qantas pilot, all international services will cease Immediately at the last stop outside Australia." Sixty-five delegates repre-

senting 32,000 pilots backed the Qantas pilots at the Dublin meeting. Officials of the Australian federation denied today there was any chance of a split within the ranks of the pilots about the way in which the strike was being handled. They said about 100 com-

mittee members and other pilots had met last night and voted full confidence in the executive’s control of the strike. The Minister of Labour and National Service, Mr Leslie Bury, said today: “The Department of Civil Aviation, the Government and Qantas has the gun pointed at their heads.

“We cannot accept such a situation."