Airline gives no word on plans

Press, 28 June 1989, Page 9

Airline gives no word on plans

By

LES BLOXHAM

With barely a month to go before facing tougher competition on its tourist air routes, Mount Cook Airlines remains silent about its plans. A company spokesperson would neither confirm nor deny yesterday reports circulating the travel industry that an announcement on new aircraft was imminent. The airline has six Hawker Siddeley 7485, which from the end of next month will compete against the first of Ansett New Zealand’s new, bigger, and much faster 8Ae146 whisper jets.

Mount Cook’s chief executive, Mr Norman Geary, was overseas earlier this month and speculation is rife that he was shopping for faster, more modern aircraft.

When “The Press” asked the airline’s press officer, Ms Prue Norling, if an announcement about new aircraft was on the cards, she said she was not prepared to comment.

However, Air New Zealand’s manager of public affairs, Mr Richard Gates, said yesterday that Mount Cook “will certainly match Ansett in the marketplace.”