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A minute of silence and a memorial service will be held Saturday afternoon to remember the 257 people who died in the Mt Erebus plane crash.
The November 28, 1979 accident occurred when Air New Zealand Flight 901 flew to Mount Erebus on Ross Island in Antarctica.
It killed all 237 passengers and 20 crew members on board.
Part of the Air New Zealand plane lies in the snow after the 1979 crash.
The minute of silence will be observed at 1.49pm to mark the time the accident occurred at 12.49pm New Zealand Standard Time (1.49pm New Zealand Summer Time).
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A wreath-laying ceremony, held in the Erebus Crew Memorial Garden near Auckland International Airport, will accompany the minute of silence.
E tū union organizer Dayna Townsend said the day marks an event that is forever etched in the memory of New Zealanders.
“Today marks a day when our national airline, the nation, and the families of those on board, suffered a great tragedy,” he said.
RYAN ANDERSON / THINGS
The Mt Erebus Crew Memorial Garden near Auckland Airport.
“The Crew Memorial Gardens near Auckland Airport in Māngere are a focal point to remember, and the event is particularly poignant this year as we view the turmoil and thousands of job losses for aviation workers as result of the pandemic “.
Townsend said E tū will also remember the five Kiwi aviation workers who died in 2008 when the Air New Zealand A320 crashed off the coast of Perpignan, France.
Earlier this month, a national monument was finally agreed to commemorate the victims of the Mount Erebus accident.
The Waitematā Local Board voted 4-3 to back plans for the controversial monument at Dove Myer Robinson Park, also known as Parnell Rose Gardens.
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Almost 41 years after the tragedy, the construction of a monument in honor of the victims of the Erebus disaster was approved.
Kathryn Carter, daughter of pilot Jim Collins, said the families were excited and relieved by the decision.
“We thank all the people who have been involved in bringing this to its final conclusion,” Carter said.
“Being the captain, [Jim] He was always responsible for his passengers, and we have always felt responsible to some degree for all the passengers who died on that flight that day. “
Carter said Dove Myer Robinson Park had already become a place of comfort for members of the Mt Erebus family and the public that supports them since the site was selected two years ago.
“It is a beautiful place that faces the sea in a secluded setting with trees covering the place,” he said.
