Air New Zealand has moved to defend the amount paid to Shanghai-based flight attendants.
Last weekend, it was revealed crew members based in China received a quarter of their New Zealand colleagues' pay - and got about a third of the allowances.
When the first inquiries were made last Thursday, a spokeswoman for the airline would only say the story included ‘‘a number of factual inaccuracies''.
In a statement on Tuesday, Air NZ said it was required by law to employ its 64 Shanghai-based staff through government agency Fasco and their salaries reflected local market relativities.
Their employment terms, which it said were in line with those of other airlines operating out of Shanghai, had been negotiated with Fasco.
Some of the Chinese air stewardesses who spoke to the New Zealand Herald said they felt let down by the airline for putting them on Chinese employment terms because one was a New Zealand resident, and others had New Zealand tertiary qualifications and had applied for the job in New Zealand.
The newspaper had a copy of a letter to Air NZ complaining about inequitable work conditions signed by 59 of the 64 Shanghai-based crew.
