18 Jan 2023

End of a traumatic chapter in aviation history

From Summer Times, 9:10 am on 18 January 2023

Air travel, like tourism was an industry which took a real hammering when the Covid pandemic gripped the world. It's getting back to normal but issues remain - prices remain high, staff shortages mean flight delays and a lot of lost luggage. But what about the pilots and air crew? Captain Andrew Ridling is the President of the Airline Pilots' Association. He says yesterday's announcement by Air New Zealand announced a resumption of flights to Shanghai and China marking an end to what he says has been a traumatic chapter in aviation history.

An Air New Zealand plane takes off from the airport in Sydney on August 23, 2017. - Air New Zealand posted a 17.5 percent fall in annual net profit on August 23 as increased competition hit the carrier's bottom line. (Photo by Peter PARKS / AFP)

Photo: AFP