Terms extended for Air N.Z. directors

Press, 15 May 1981, Page 2

Terms extended for Air N.Z. directors

Wellington reporter Five directors of Air New Zealand, whose terms on the board have already been extended, will be asked to continue until the end of the year. The move, suggested by the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon), was approved by the Government caucus yesterday. The five include the chairman (Mr C. W. Mace) and Captain R. T. Mounsey, who were first due to . retire in September last year, but whose terms were extended until February 12. At that time their terms of office and those of three others also

due to retire on that date \ were further extended until , May 31. , The three other directors 1 are Mr R. B. Grierson, Mr M. ■ F. Hunter, and Captain J. H. Register. Mr Muldoon said that it would not be appropriate to change the directorship until all matters arising from the DCIO crash on Mount Erebus had been settled. “It seems sensible to reappoint them for a limited period and reconsider the position of the whole board after all these various hearings and actions are behind us,” he said. Mr Muldoon said that the directors had not yet been

■ asked if they were prepared ’ to continue, but said that he ■would be surprised if any of {them “didn’t want to see’this . through” j- He said that the board was ' hopeful of answering by June 3 the questions which he had put to.it about its actions both before and after the disaster. Two reservations had been put on the provision of answers to those questions, however. Questions would not be answered if those answers could have an impact on the dealings of the airline with its insurers, or if they could affect any possible actions brought by the police, Mr Muldoon said.