Yes, I've heard a certain Hamilton based Link operator is using CTC in their pilot evaluation interviews during day 2....
However we are talking about using the CTC simulator to evaulate candidates in much the same way they used to use a certain Ardmore based flying school for their simulator to evaluate candidates on their basic I/F..
Far from taking 250 hour pilots into the RHS of the mighty 1900.
But i could be wrong..
I have no doubt a 250 hour CTC cadet can do it. I've seen it and many of the cadets I taught are flying B757s and A320s now. Many have glowing reports and worked very hard to get where they are. CTC does have a way of weeding out the undesirables during training.
I just advise caution into joining a program which promises and holds the RHS carrot infront of many a student pilot, until it is proven. CTC is proven, however proven only in the UK. And to get into the UK, you need that ever elusive Right to Work in the EU.
The other problem I foresee with cadets in airlines in NZ is as Luke says, the '50 year culture of the exact opposite downunder'. Placing cadets into a airline is not just as simple as taking a cadet and placing them into a flight deck. The company culture has to be conducive to it. If 250 hour cadets start getting into the RHS of a B737 over the 3000-4000 hour Link driver who has worked every weekend for the last 10 years to get where he is, I see a bit of a revolt happening.
In saying that though, when easyJet take cadets, they only take a cadet stream, they still take experienced pilots as well as cadets, so that the experience levels going into the company is staggered and you don't get a experience 'hump' of experienced people all leaving the company at the same time. Cadets only alleivate a small problem of pilot recruitment, airlines still need experienced drivers.
But as I've stated in the past.. I could be wrong. (I don't work for Air NZ or Link so I'm only speculating about the response and culture)