by Julie Taylor julie.taylor@dailypost.co.nz
Rotorua travellers have been caught up in the latest strike by Air Nelson staff.
Because the last weekend of the school holidays is such a busy time, about 10,000 passengers are expected to be affected by the changes to Air New Zealand link services resulting from the Air Nelson strike.
An Air New Zealand media spokeswoman said there were no regional details about the number of flights or passengers affected in Rotorua.
Some flights were rescheduled to minimise disruption but she said affected passengers had been notified "as much as possible" and there should be no further changes.
Anybody concerned about their travel plans is advised to contact the Air New Zealand desk at the airport.
This three-day strike follows two half-day strikes as the pilots push for a pay rise and changes to rostering in stalled settlement talks.
The next facilitation meeting between the New Zealand Airline Pilots Association and Air Nelson is scheduled for July 31.
Association executive director Rick Mirkin said in June that pilots had not had a pay rise in two years but Air Nelson's refusal to change pilots' rosters was the biggest obstacle to settlement. Pilots are asking for a 5pm finish on the Friday before their weekend off.
But Air New Zealand has said the pilots' demands are excessive and would require Air Nelson to employ more than 30 extra pilots at a cost of more than $4 million a year.
additional reporting Hawke's Bay Today
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