Pilots React to Eagle Air flights being abolished

The New Zealand Airline Pilots Association has responded to Air New Zealand's announcement that by 2016 the beech 19 seat fleet will be abolished.

Association General Manager Virginia Mudie says the Eagle Airline pilots were very disappointed and concerned about their future employment opportunities following today's announcement.

She said "many of the pilots were anxious and once hearing the news were stressed about what the future held."

The New Zealand Airline Pilots Association has a support programme in place to deal with the Eagle Air pilots who are affected as a result of this news.

"Some see it as a huge blow and given the uncertainty around redeployment many will feel worried and even angry at the decision made.
At this stage we don't know whether any redundancies will be announced or what relocations will have to take place."

"Many of these pilots live in the provinces for lifestyle choices and families are firmly entrenched there.

We welcome participating in working party meetings to be held to thrash out the issues concerned."

The Beech aircraft have been a large part of services for many years and it's very sad that small provincial towns like Westport will lose out following the announcement.

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