Fog brings ‘fate worse than death’

Press, 2 June 1982, Page 1

Fog brings ‘fate worse than death’

Hundreds of international airline passengers experienced “a fate worse than death” yesterday when fog closed Auckland. Airport and their aircraft had to land at ; Christchurch.

The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) made his controversial joke about making British Airways flight come to Christchurch, which he said would be “a fate worse than death,” when he was in London last month. .

Councillors heard yesterday that he had added insult to injury by his reply to criticism of that remark by Cr Rex Lester, the Deputy Mayor of Christchurch, and chairman of the City Council’s public utilities committee.

Cr Lester had written to Mr Muldoon that many people promoting the South Island, particularly those in the tourism industry, were concerned about the negative effect his remark would have on their activities. He asked the Prime Minister to correct the statement.

Mr Muldoon replied in a letter: “I am well aware that the absence of a sense of humour is a prerequisite for selection as a Labour Party candidate for public office. In the circumstances, I will only chuckle at your pompous suggestion.”

■ Cr Lester said he was disappointed with the reply, “but perhaps little people have little jokes.” As passengers remained stranded in the record line-

up of wide-bodied jets at Christchurch Airport, councillors • decided to take the tiff with Mr Muldoon no further. Cr Geoff Stone wondered if the Prime Minister had the same reply for the member of Parliament for Fendalton, Mr P. R. Burdon, who was also unhappy about Mr Muldoon’s joke. At Christchurch Airport yesterday were big jets of U.T.A. Air Lines, Continental Airlines, and Air Niugini along with familiar Air New Zealand DClOs and a Qantas Boeing 747.

An Air New Zealand spokesman said that most of the passengers bpd been ferried to their North Island destinations on domestic flights, although some would have, to spend the night in the city. One of the Air New Zealand DClOs landed safely with two engines when the third stopped in flight from Christchurch to Auckland last evening, . the Press Association reported.

The plane landed at Mangere at 7.15 p.m. as fire engines stood by.

Thousands of air travellers were stranded in Auckland yesterday as fog closed the airport until 2 p.m. It was only the second time that fog had closed the airport since it opened in 1965. Almost 2090 passengers were inconvenienced by the cancellation of 52 domestic flights in and out of Auckland yesterday.