That Irene King is a cynical nasty piece of work isn't she ... a government declared "pilot shortage" is marketing gold for the CPL sausage factory schools she represents, you can't buy that publicity. She of all people should know the truth about the state of aviation in NZ.
Me, 9000 total, 5000 airbus, I'd be home from the sandpit faster than a rat up a drainpipe if Air NZ had anything better to offer than the prospect of 10 years in the jumpseat / 15 years in the RHS.
Seriously, and I know that hell will freeze over before it happens, but if they are actually worried about a pilot shortage and don't want to pillage the links, why the hell don't they hire GA guys straight to the SO position and steal a bunch of Virgin / Jetstar FO's plus some overseas expats for the RHS?
How long must the ALPA guys worship blindly at the altar of "seniority" when the management is pulling dirty tricks like this one, which ultimately undermines the entire industry not just Air NZ?
And another thing IF this goes ahead it won't just be Air NZ who are affected, you can bet your bottom dollar that jetstar / pac bro / jetconnect will be snowed under with cv's from every pilot in the third world overnight
