Cat fight looms over Air NZ 'ash' rumours

Air New Zealand CEO Rob Fyfe has hit back at "malicious and damaging" rumours that Air New Zealand has endangered passengers and compromised safety for continuing to fly below the layer of ash. Mr Fyfe has firmly pointed the finger at Australia as the source of these rumours.

Fyfe said despite all those in the flight operations team working hard last week to maintain safe operations "behind the scenes however we were constantly battling a series of malicious rumours that emerged from the Australian market and fed to media, suggesting that Air New Zealand had six aircraft in the hangar with ash damage, an aircraft grounded in Australia with ash damage and an aircraft requiring a nose cone replacement as a result of ash damage''.

read the full story from stuff.co.nz HERE

Meanwhile Qantas have denied any part in the rumours

Asked if the Australian boss had referred to Air New Zealand and Virgin airlines having issues, Qantas said Joyce ''never said that''.
''No-one at Qantas, including Alan Joyce, has said or implied at any point that other airlines are operating unsafely.  We have simply stated our policy and noted that other airlines have their own processes,'' an Australian-based Qantas spokesperson said.

Read the story from stuff.co.nz HERE