Under the VAA/VAI/VANZ integration policy the VANZ pilots have not been sold out at all!
Prior to the agreement, all operations were effectively silo'd, meaning neither group had any rights to the flying or operation of the other group..
Under the new agreement, VANZ pilots have been placed at the bottom of the VAA seniority list but with VANZ commands protected, VAA pilots have effectively been placed at the bottom of the VANZ pilot list as well.
No Australian pilot can take a job or promotion away from a VANZ pilot. What the agreement does is enable NZ pilots access to the Australian operation complete with better pay and conditions. A VANZ pilot employed 3 days ago is now senior to a VAA or VAI pilot for that matter who was employed yesterday. Is this not a better situation than VANZ pilots had previously?
I don't see any benefit in this deal for any Australian based pilot especially in the short term. VANZ access to VAI had ceased as of this year anyway so any hope these guys had to progress across to the 777 was gone.
VANZ continues as per normal with jobs and commands protected for VANZ pilots. What has changed is they now have access to the Australian operation.. With all the expansion occurring at VAA currently this over time will be of benefit to VANZ pilots. With the demise of the VANZ domestic operation, realistically, how much future expansion is there? Any expansion will be protected for VANZ pilots anyway. There are only so many islands in the pacific to fly to..
Integration is not an overnight solution.. It is designed so that in the long term, all pilots may at some stage benefit. VAA command protection for FO's over VAI or ex VAI CRFO's has a sunset clause based on 20 years.
The other option was to silo VANZ. This would ensure no VANZ pilot ever transfers across to VAA unless they resign from VANZ and apply like everyone else,off the street.. Under the terms of the policy they can transfer inter company.
I know there are many senior Captains at VANZ annoyed that their years of service have not been taken into account by putting them at the bottom of the list.. On the flip side numerous even more senior pilots at VAA have been placed below less senior pilots at VANZ with VANZ commands protected..
The integration policy was not formulated overnight. It took over 8 months to design and write. It wasn't just a case of 'right we have our policy, now lets just put the kiwi's at the bottom and get this over and done with'. Much thought was put into their position and in the interest of fairness NZ commands were protected in the same way VAA commands were protected for the most junior F/O's.
There will always be those who can't see the woods from the trees and will always feel they have been shafted. Integration is never an easy job. Airlines in the US are still perusing legal action decades after their integration.
If VANZ got A330's (highly unlikely I think, although some in VANZ seem to think its going to happen even though JB has said they have no plans to do this) than I don't see why the VANZ senior pilots should not have priority to operate these.
Last edited by fmcinop; 5th Apr 2013 at 22:39.