21 Jul 2005

Air NZ says it's contacted most passengers affected by today's strike

3:46 pm on 21 July 2005

Air New Zealand says it's rebooked most of the passengers affected today by a second wave of strikes by long-haul flight attendants.

About 1,000 international cabin crew members walked off the job again for 48 hours this morning, with a third two-day strike planned for Sunday.

Flights to Fiji, Samoa and Hawaii are among 11 international flights that have been cancelled today, affecting up to 2,000 passengers, with about 3,000 expected to be disrupted tomorrow.

The General Manager of Air New Zealand international, Ed Sims, is confident 98 per cent of people will have made alternative transport arrangements.

"Our experience as the strike continues is that our implementation plan of contacting all the affected passengers is becoming increasingly effective, and we are finding smaller numbers of people arriving at the airports unaware that the strike is on."

Ed Sims from Air New Zealand.

A third day of negotiations on pay and conditions is under way.