Air N.Z. board decision today

Press, 2 May 1981, Page 1

Air N.Z. board decision today

PA Auckland Air New Zealand is expected to announce today what action it will take with those members of its staff .who were criticised in the Mount Erebus crash report. The board of the airline met for much of yesterday and Will continue meeting today to make decisions on a number of issues, including the questrn of whether it disciplines those criticised. The chairman of the board’s Mount Erebus crash sub-committee, Mr J. D/Dalgety, said yesterday a decision had to be made .on what action .was to be. taken. “I- hope- we will have decided by tomorrow,he said. ' . Mr Dalgety said a number, of decisions had already been made but he

would not say what they were, preferring to make one announcement today covering all the icr.-.es. However, he did say the board still planned to take action in the High Court in an effort to clear the names of the chief executive (Mr M. R. Davis) and other employees criticisedin the Royal Commission report, . by Mr Justice Mahon. . In addition to the, question of disciplinary action today’s announcement is expected to touch on restructuring the airline. Flight engineers. -believe confidence in' Air New Zealand’s management is seriously impaired until all implicated in the Mount Erebus report are cleared. A statement was made yesterday after a special meeting of the Flight

Engineer Officers’ Association executive, which represents about 100 of the airline’s flight engineers. The association’s president, Mr Dennis Webb, told reporters his group had found nothing to criticise in the findings of <the commission of inquiry. “We had no ddub.t in the competence of the technical crew and are pleased that this feeling has been upheld in respect of the three pilots and two flight engineer officers,” he said. But, he added: “Until such time as those persons. implicated, in the commission’s report are cleared of all suspicion of mismanagement, then this association’s confidence in Air New Zealand’s present management is seriously impaired.”