Originally Posted by
Ollie Onion
Air NZ’s life is about to get very hard with new rules likely around isolation of international crew with testing. The Government has been embarrassed about airline crew testing and will react.
International Aircrew are getting tested up to 4 times a month (if not more) depending on how much they're working.... compare this to Border and Isolation facility staff, some of who haven't been tested at all.
The media is on a witch hunt and crew are the scapegoat. Partly, no doubt, due to the Bluff wedding cluster which caught everyone off guard at the start of the pandemic, but also because it's Air NZ and we're no stranger to certain media outlets and their constant wind ups. Even the experts (academics) can't agree with each other, not specifically here, but globally. Every media major outlet in the world has been able to find themselves an expert willing to push their particular narrative... be it Herd Immunity, Lockdowns work/don't work, use of hydroxychloroquine etc etc
The previous experts (so I'm told) decided on a 48hr isolation for NZ based Crew on the basis that our movements were so heavily controlled while on a TOD, along with the required use of PPE and private transport, unlike arriving citizens whose movements are less known prior to arrival.
The new experts seem to disagree with this, and as the Media's decided to run with it, no doubt we'll get another change which will be complied with. If it's a 14 day isolation, this will heavily impact the viability of international operations and the Government may need to re-evaluate their freight options.
Honestly, at the moment, I have more chance of catching COVID at my local supermarket than I do in HKG, LA or anywhere else because everything is so tightly controlled. When's the last time anyone here actually operated internationally? Particularly to China/HKG?
The point is, as Cliche' as it is to say, there is no manual for COVID. The NZ Government, along with Airlines, are constantly evaluating and modifying procedures based on new advise/evidence... as they should. As Crew, we'll continue to comply or remove ourselves from duty if required. (In the beginning, PVG was basically a squaller detention centre so many crew refused to operate while some foreign carriers staged their PVG freight through HKG).
There are some who will condemn Air NZ everytime an expert says we could be doing better. Again, that's usual round here... plenty with chips on their shoulders, usually stemming from a failed interview 20 years ago and they can't let it go. QF seems to get the same vitriol from time to time. People just need to let it go. Specifically COVID, Air NZ are trying to keep the doors open and have been working with the MOH and Government (our majority shareholder) to do just that. That seems to be a source of angst for some. Perhaps they've lost their jobs and wont be happy until the rest of us have as well.
Originally Posted by
billyt
So assume those international airlines operating into NZ would have to comply as well. I can see some problems there.
The MOH procedures for Aircrew are separated into 2 categories. NZ based Crew returning from overseas and foreign crew laying over in NZ.
It's all here:
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/...r#requirements