Cabin crew shelters stranded passengers

Press, 26 December 1984, Page 5

Cabin crew shelters stranded passengers

PA Auckland A quadruple heart by-pass patient and two youngsters hoping to spend Christmas with their grandparents in Britain were among dozens of stranded passengers being looked after by striking airline cabin crews. An ailing Mr William Mcßobbie, of Dunedin, said he does not know what he would have done if he had not been billeted by an Air New Zealand stewardess. “I have been visiting my sister in New Zealand for the past two months and have little money left,” Mr Mcßoie said. “I was to fly home on Wednesday night

but, because of the strike, I was stranded. “Because of my condition, Air New Zealand said they would look after me until the planes were flying again. They told me not to worry. “Then, on Friday, they rang and said I was on my own. The shock was enormous and I collapsed and was sent to Middlemore Hospital for the night. “The airline could have offered me some help. They knew of my heart condition. “I am very grateful to the cabin staff and particularly to the young lady who came to my rescue.”

An executive member of the union, Mr Eddie Pownall, and his wife Colleen have taken two New Plymouth children, Tammy, aged 13 and Tim, aged 11, into their home. The children’s parents brought them to Auckland to catch Wednesday night’s flight to London and had to rush home to look after their four-year-old. “We are going to England to see our grandma,” Tim said. “If we hadn’t come here, we would have gone back to New Plymouth and our trip to England would have been cancelled.”