Australia, New Zealand & the Pacific Airline and RPT Rumours & News in Australia, enZed and the Pacific

Air NZ Jet

Old 25th Aug 2022, 12:34
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: World
Posts: 81
Received 3 Likes on 2 Posts
Air NZ Jet

Hi all

Can anyone in the know advise what the current situation is like in the Air NZ jet fleet furlough/redundancy hold pool is? Last I heard the training plan only had about 200 pilots back before 2024 with only 50 or so actually invited. That was in Feb this year, so presuming things have changed since then a little?

Seosan is offline  
Old 25th Aug 2022, 22:26
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Here and there
Posts: 3,089
Received 14 Likes on 11 Posts
200 by the end of roster 11 this year was the news in July. I suspect everyone will have had an opportunity very soon and then they will start working their way back up the list.

Edit: If you're asking because you want to know when they might start recruiting, you will need to go via the turboprops and they're recruiting right now.
AerocatS2A is offline  
Old 26th Aug 2022, 09:01
  #3 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: World
Posts: 81
Received 3 Likes on 2 Posts
Originally Posted by AerocatS2A
Edit: If you're asking because you want to know when they might start recruiting, you will need to go via the turboprops and they're recruiting right now.
Thanks for the info. I'm a little old to be joining a 10+ year waiting list for a jet interview. Mostly just curious about how the recovery is going back home.
Seosan is offline  
Old 26th Aug 2022, 20:55
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Here and there
Posts: 3,089
Received 14 Likes on 11 Posts
Originally Posted by Seosan
Thanks for the info. I'm a little old to be joining a 10+ year waiting list for a jet interview. Mostly just curious about how the recovery is going back home.
Faster than any of us imagined.
AerocatS2A is offline  
Old 26th Aug 2022, 23:19
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: NZ
Posts: 54
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Originally Posted by AerocatS2A
Faster than any of us imagined.
Slower and more painful than necessary because those that highlighted obvious points were ignored/belittled.
waterbottle is offline  
Old 27th Aug 2022, 01:49
  #6 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Here and there
Posts: 3,089
Received 14 Likes on 11 Posts
Originally Posted by waterbottle
Slower and more painful than necessary because those that highlighted obvious points were ignored/belittled.
No doubt.
AerocatS2A is offline  
Old 28th Aug 2022, 20:43
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: At Home
Posts: 397
Received 13 Likes on 12 Posts
Originally Posted by Mumbojumbo
There will definitely be hiring outside of the regional fleet in the next wee while. Not a chance the regional fleet can release the number of pilots that will be required. Assumption only of course.
Recruitment policies are always changing, but the current mantra is the pathway to Jet will be via the Regionals and they plan to plan to increase regional crewing numbers to achieve it.
No talks of Joint Seniority that I’m aware of, so if/when demand requires external hiring again, there won’t be Seniority issues.

In the short to medium turn however, there’s still a lot of names to be recalled to Jet.
On Paper, of the 300 odd Redundant/Furloughed Pilots, we’re almost at the bottom of the list, but that’s because 120 odd have taken LWOP so there’s going to be some back filling once we reach the bottom.

Total numbers, we’re about 200 Pilots short of pre-COVID numbers but the 8x 777-200’s are gone and their replacements are a few years away yet. We’re currently recalling pilots to Re-Crew the 777-300’s and all the seat changes that creates, once that’s done it’ll slow down.
ElZilcho is offline  
Old 29th Aug 2022, 06:31
  #8 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: World
Posts: 81
Received 3 Likes on 2 Posts
Originally Posted by ElZilcho
In the short to medium turn however, there’s still a lot of names to be recalled to Jet.
On Paper, of the 300 odd Redundant/Furloughed Pilots, we’re almost at the bottom of the list, but that’s because 120 odd have taken LWOP so there’s going to be some back filling once we reach the bottom.
Thanks El Zilcho. I understand it's impossible to get a cover-all answer here but why would guys higher on the seniority list take LWOP instead of returning? Were they holding out for a LH spot?
Seosan is offline  
Old 29th Aug 2022, 07:15
  #9 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Lalaland
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes on 4 Posts
Originally Posted by Seosan
Thanks El Zilcho. I understand it's impossible to get a cover-all answer here but why would guys higher on the seniority list take LWOP instead of returning? Were they holding out for a LH spot?
because majority of them are regional captains who were awarded positions on the jet fleet but never actually started. When Covid hit they were made “redundant” and are now faced with a decision to resign from
their current role, have to go on training pay (60k) for a few months and start at the bottom of the jet pay scale. Oh and probably have to move to Auckland.

so they take lwop
dctPub is offline  
Old 29th Aug 2022, 10:39
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: At Home
Posts: 397
Received 13 Likes on 12 Posts
Originally Posted by Seosan
Thanks El Zilcho. I understand it's impossible to get a cover-all answer here but why would guys higher on the seniority list take LWOP instead of returning? Were they holding out for a LH spot?
As dctPub said, a lot of them will be Regional pilots and their reasons will be varied. Some Regional pilots were on a Jet Course when COVID hit and found themselves redundant, having resigned from the Links, and on training pay. So I suspect some are keen to hold onto their Seniority for a while longer.

But there are some Jet Pilots who took LWOP as well, could be a number of reasons. Notice periods at their current jobs, waiting for their preferred fleet, not ready to return… whole host of reasons to be honest. In the end, I suspect we’ll see I few resignations, but most will probably take a course in time.
ElZilcho is offline  
Old 29th Aug 2022, 11:23
  #11 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: World
Posts: 81
Received 3 Likes on 2 Posts
Thanks fellas appreciate the info 👍🏼
Seosan is offline  
Old 13th Sep 2022, 09:41
  #12 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Bigsmoke
Age: 41
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Well looks like the best place to be is not in air nz regional but in a foreign jet operator as doors are going to open up to externals. Once again regional pilots will be shot down for recruitment opportunities as we are only gardeners clearly.
78ZH is offline  
Old 14th Sep 2022, 04:27
  #13 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Ardmore, New Zealand
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by 78ZH
Well looks like the best place to be is not in air nz regional but in a foreign jet operator as doors are going to open up to externals. Once again regional pilots will be shot down for recruitment opportunities as we are only gardeners clearly.
So you haven’t read the RPPP I take it?
KiwiAvi8er is offline  
Old 14th Sep 2022, 05:59
  #14 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: At Home
Posts: 397
Received 13 Likes on 12 Posts
Originally Posted by 78ZH
Well looks like the best place to be is not in air nz regional but in a foreign jet operator as doors are going to open up to externals. Once again regional pilots will be shot down for recruitment opportunities as we are only gardeners clearly.
Originally Posted by KiwiAvi8er
So you haven’t read the RPPP I take it?
Honestly, the timing is amusing.
Zero talk of external Recruitment to Jet yet has a rant on Prune about it the day before a Company memo stating a 100% internal recruitment goal.

Honestly, the top half of the RSL is the best place to be right now.
Just submit a standing bid for S8/7 or F20 and wait your turn.
ElZilcho is offline  
Old 14th Sep 2022, 08:13
  #15 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Lalaland
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes on 4 Posts
So when Air NZ needs bulk pilots again it will be Tag and Release 2.0 it seems?

Also some oddly specific clauses restricting external pilots in there, 8 years away from the regionals (the ol' jetconnect loophole) and stipulated experience for external candidates (well and truly above and beyond the company minimum requirements). Those few CX SOs that "slipped through"

Someone must have had a bone to pick.
dctPub is offline  
Old 14th Sep 2022, 20:18
  #16 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: At Home
Posts: 397
Received 13 Likes on 12 Posts
Originally Posted by dctPub
So when Air NZ needs bulk pilots again it will be Tag and Release 2.0 it seems?

Also some oddly specific clauses restricting external pilots in there, 8 years away from the regionals (the ol' jetconnect loophole) and stipulated experience for external candidates (well and truly above and beyond the company minimum requirements). Those few CX SOs that "slipped through"

Someone must have had a bone to pick.
Yep, someone clearly has an axe to grind with people "jumping the queue" and it's quite pathetic.
There’s was already a 2 year stand down in place if you left the group, but seems it got ignored for a brief period in 2017(ish) which has caused this traitor mentality.

The concept that many left the Links to actually get paid a decent wage while progressing their careers never seemed to occur to certain individuals.
Admittedly, with Eagle being no more and blended T-Prop Payscales that's less of an issue these days. Would anyone be surprised to hear that the bulk of Pilots who left the Links to fly Jets for the Aussies are ex-Eagle? I wonder why….?

Last edited by ElZilcho; 14th Sep 2022 at 20:38.
ElZilcho is offline  
Old 15th Sep 2022, 16:48
  #17 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: World
Posts: 81
Received 3 Likes on 2 Posts
I’m an outsider looking in and have no concept of the realities of tag and release but do the regionals have such training capacity that when Jet fleet ask for 100 pilots exclusively internally they can just push through 100 command courses on a whim?

As a kiwi overseas (due to family, not queue-jumping) it has taken a while to come to terms with the fact that I may never get the chance to fly for the home carrier. Not saying it’s a right, but it would have been nice to have the chance to apply. I still find the new ethos quite an interesting proposal operationally.
Seosan is offline  
Old 16th Sep 2022, 08:36
  #18 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: At Home
Posts: 397
Received 13 Likes on 12 Posts
Originally Posted by Seosan
I’m an outsider looking in and have no concept of the realities of tag and release but do the regionals have such training capacity that when Jet fleet ask for 100 pilots exclusively internally they can just push through 100 command courses on a whim?

As a kiwi overseas (due to family, not queue-jumping) it has taken a while to come to terms with the fact that I may never get the chance to fly for the home carrier. Not saying it’s a right, but it would have been nice to have the chance to apply. I still find the new ethos quite an interesting proposal operationally.
Well with 2 Fleets, it would be 50 each so probably not a major hurdle, especially if they plan ahead for it. They couldn’t sustain that for consecutive years however as they’d run out of qualified FO’s to upgrade. That’s where Tag and Release would come in, but honestly at a ratio of 9:1 it would be an absolute shambles.

The current plan will work very well for the senior Link Pilots, most of which are well and truly due for a pathway to Jet. Long term however, many of us believe its going to create more problems than it solves and we’ll see more changes.

External or Internal, getting into Air NZ is often about timing, and which way the pendulum has swung when you apply.
Why they can never strike a balance between the 2 is beyond my pay grade.
ElZilcho is offline  
Old 21st Sep 2022, 20:58
  #19 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Could be wrong here, but it’s only Dash and ATR drivers excluded for 8 years hey? Not Eagle - because of the company being closed?
go123 is offline  
Old 21st Sep 2022, 23:34
  #20 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Ardmore, New Zealand
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by go123
Could be wrong here, but it’s only Dash and ATR drivers excluded for 8 years hey? Not Eagle - because of the company being closed?
Correct
KiwiAvi8er is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.