Board stands behind Mr Davis

Press, 28 April 1981, Page 1

Board stands behind Mr Davis

PA Auckland The chief executive of Air New Zealand, (Mr M. R. Davis) — described by the Commission as “very able, but evidently autocratic” — will not be asked to resign by the airline’s board. But whether he will resign himself was not known last evening. He refused to answer the question at a news conference yesterday afternoon.

Mr Davis, visibly shaken by the findings, read a short statement but would not answe.* any questions.

He said that his professional competence and integrity had come under savage attack in the Erebus report. “That attack is totally indefensible.” ' Mr Davis said that he rejected entirely any allegations that his performance of duties, givinj of evidence, or relationship tq the giving of evidence by others, was inadequate or improper. Asked if he was going to resign, he said that he had nothing more to say at that stage. For airline employees the Commission’s findings were almost as shattering as the first news f the crash, and for those on the airline’s switchboards it was made worse by the number of callers who

telephoned to abuse the airline and Mr Davis. The board has come out strongly in defence of Mr Davis and other airline members Who were criticised.

According to the chairman, Mr C. W. Mace, the board totally rejected the “very serious allegations relating to the integrity of Mr Davis and other senior employees.”

He said that the board was completely happy with Mr Davis, ana would not ask him or any other senior employees to resign.

“We are satisfied that the chief executive did a good job,” said Mr Mac*. Asked if he thought some of those criticised would resign, Mr Mace said that only time would tell how people were affected by what the report had said. “But as far as we are concerned, we have a lot of faith in those concerned.”

The board and its legal advisers spent much of yesterday discussing the report and its implications.

However, Mr Mace said that apart from defending those criticised, there was little he could say.

The views of the Commission on the causes of the accident and related matters would require close study, he said. The board, said Mr Mace, would make more detailed statements later.