Pilot grounded after jibe at PM

news24.com ^ | September 5, 2005

[billorites]

Wellington - An Air New Zealand pilot was grounded on Thursday after telling his passengers that Prime Minister Helen Clark was to blame for delaying their take-off from Wellington.

The pilot, who was not named, said over the plane's public address system that Clark's bag was being removed because she was transferring to a charter flight and added: "So much for supporting the national airline, eh?"

But he was misinformed, and Clark was not amused when she boarded the plane and was told of his comments by cabinet minister Trevor Mallard, especially upon learning that opposition leader Don Brash, her main challenger in this month's general election, was also on board.

Invited to go to the cockpit, she gave the pilot a piece of her mind and later received a telephoned apology from the airline's chief executive.

"Its an issue of fairness," she said. "The whole plane was told that I, as prime minister, was responsible for the delay. That just wasn't true, and I am entitled to fair treatment like any other passenger."

The government owns more than 80% of Air New Zealand, and the pilot was stood down while he writes a letter of apology to his boss.

[shaggy eel]

The PM needs to chill. If she cant take a jibe like that, how is she going to react when a Jihadist detonates himself in downtown Auckland?

,,, self-esteem has to be preserved at all costs for matrons like these. How's she going to manage election rejection? Nobody's had the courage to tell her all this time she won't be Prime Minister forever. At least she'll have Heather Simpson's shoulder to cry on... oh, she already did that when the door flew open on that light plane a couple of months ago. Planes are just trouble for Xao Helen... she's either giving the cane to whoever's flying them or giving the cane to whoever's driving her to catch one.