Air NZ strike called off, but flights remain cancelled

About 30 Air New Zealand flights will remain cancelled tomorrow and Monday despite agreement being reached by the company and long-haul cabin crew over pay and conditions.

The airline said contingency measures put in the place when about 1000 members of the Flight Attendants and Related Services Association gave notice of industrial action were irreversible.

Over the past week, cabin crew have already held two of three planned 48-hour strikes, with the last due to have begun tomorrow morning.

FARSA said it had withdrawn further action after concluding a deal with airline management over terms and conditions of employment for the next three years.

Air NZ said 16 flights would remain cancelled tomorrow and 13 on Monday, making a total of 85 cancelled since Monday.

Air NZ international division general manager Ed Sims said the agreement with the union came after four days of "constructive discussion" this week between the parties.

He said the company would now be able to continue with introducing its new Boeing 777 fleet over the next year.

Details of the agreement were subject to ratification and would not be released until they were presented to union members from Monday.

Air NZ had previously offered a 3.3 per cent pay rise in response to the union's claim of 3.8 per cent.

Several issues relating to conditions, including crewing levels on the new 777s, meal allowances and annual leave, had also remained unresolved after months of negotiations.

The industrial action did not affect domestic services.

- NZPA