Airline’s image likely to be tarnished

Press, 28 April 1981, Page 3

Airline’s image likely to be tarnished

By

LES BLOXHAM,

travel editor Air New Zealand's once shining image in the international marketplace is likely to be tarnished by the world-wide release last evening of the damning conclusions in the Royal Commission’s report. The inevitable highlighting of deficiencies in accepted flight-planning procedures, allegations of lying under oath, of a planned cover-up, and the airline's failure to notify the crew of an amended computerised course will seriously handicap Air New Zealand's all important bid to attract more foreign passengers. The airline’s standing in the United States will probably suffer a severe, but temporary, setback. Americans are particularly sensitive to aviation accident reports that reveal inadequacies in safety standards. American Airlines and Western Airlines have both

experienced a big fall-off in .passengers since the reports into the crashes of their DClOs at Chicago and Mexico City in 1979 were made public. Compared with the United States average drop of 3 per cent last year,-Western’s support fell by 18 per cent or almost two million passengers, while American Airlines’ dropped by 17 per cent or about four million passengers. Both airlines are still fighting to win back their lost patronage. Air New Zealand has already increased substantially its expenditure on advertising in American magazines. Last -year it spent $1.25 million, double its 1979 figure, on this medium in the United States alone, clearly outstripping the relevant budgets of much bigger airlines such as J.A.L., Swissair, and Singapore Airlines.

Air New Zealand’s infant, but growing, market in

Japan might also suffer from the backlash of the Commission's findings. Twenty-four Japanese lost their lives in the Erebus crash, resulting in widespread coverage of the disaster and its aftermath in Japan’s media.

The possible adverse effect publicity could have on the airline’s international market was probably one of the reasons why the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) yesterday called on New Zealanders to rally round Air New Zealand. The airline in the past has been carrying more foreigners on its international flights than New Zealanders.

As it takes delivery of the first three of its new fleet of five Boeing 747 s during the next few months, Air New Zealand will present to the public a new image aimed at removing the spotlight from the remaining DClOs and any possible associated reminder of the Erebus tragedy.