Alliance switch to NZ AOC
 

Alliance are threatening to move to an NZ AOC over the costs of compliance and other CASA restrictions .

Brave move but good to see someone showing initiative .

Bravo Scott👏

Could set a precedence for some of the smaller airline operators if it's successful. Although I'm sure CASA would find a way of making it difficult to operate in Aus under a foreign AOC if too many try.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/ar...nz-aoc-422678/

They'll still need GNSS in New Zealand if they're to operate without any ATC/tracking impact.

Smart idea as there is an agreement between CASA and the CAA with receiprocal rights. Make a big noise politically about it and you can quite legally fly around Australia on a ZK rego. Vincent did it for years including RPT.

QQ Fleet
 

For the record, Alliance Aircraft are ADSB compliant and all are fitted with integrated GNSS.
They also have an F50 based in NZ already.

Vincent did it on a ZK rego but only with the 146 I believe, which only did charters for mining co. I believe.

That said a NZ AOC must be worth much more than an Australian AOC.

Imagine not having to deal with CASA at all & only having to meet NZCAA rules, which are apparently much much simpler.

Think a few smaller NZL airlines are looking to branch out in to Australia, as it's apparently very easy to ZK regos to fly here.

Think there is some rule that states, NZL operations must be greater than OZ ops, but am sure that could be interpreted a number of ways, ie. charter vs RPT.

not foreign AOC but rather a NZL AOC. New Zealand might be foreign country but NZL AOC, is superior in some ways to OZ AOC.

Skyforce were apparently looking to put their 146's on NZL register, before they closed up shop, as apparently they were getting so much agro from CASA.

NZ are currently doing on there SYD-NLK & BNE-NLK services, which are funded by the Australian government!


It isn't really much different to Eastern Australian Airlines flying there Q300s around New Zealand with an VH on the back of the plane.

Could it even tempt Qantas to move all the Q300s over to ZK?

I think Qantas would move the whole operation to NZ given half the chance. Pay everyone NZ wages under NZ terms. They could cut the work force in half, get the same work done and make billions more in profit!

I was wondering about the IR implications? Surely if you're operating under a NZ AOC but based in Australia, Australian IR laws would apply to you?

That's easy, they already have an operation set up here in NZ with pilots and cabin crew all employed on NZ conditions. It would be a stroke of a pen to shift everyone else over, Qantas Australia shuts down, everyone is out of a job. If you want your job sign on the dotted line to work being based out of NZ. :ok:

But we're talking about Alliance, not Qantas. Considering most of their operation is in Aus, the cost of accommodation and per diem's putting them up whilst spending most of their time in Aus would quickly chew up any savings in reduced pay.

So my question is, if you are based in Aus, but working for a company that's AOC is in New Zealand, I would assume you would still need to be paid IAW Aus IR.

That is how it works for Airwork.

Kiwi regs are better than ours, current and proposed if they ever get implemented.

If a few other operators got on the band wagon with a some good aviation lawyers, this could be interesting....

Anyone considered CASR Part 129 which goes live on the 20th of April? Might be worth will doing a gap analysis.

Any operator complying with NZ part 121 will easily satisfy these requirements.

AOC's and EBA's are two entirely separate animals.

At the risk of stating the obvious, the AOC is the regulatory operating certificate and doesn't care where the pilots come from.

The EBA on the otherhand cares where the people come from (I.e. Are they a party to the agreement) and doesn't care what rego is painted on the tail.

Jetstar has pilots in NZ flying VH tailed aeroplanes under a NZ agreement, same as Virgin, Qantas has cabin crew from various parts of the world flying on an Australian registered and operated aeroplane under agreements applicable to their domicile country.

WishIwasupthere has nailed it with regards the costs of shifting everyone to NZ to live just to get access to "cheaper" terms and conditions.

Jetstar already tried to offshore their pilots to NZ in the form of cadets. It didn't work, and those cadets who signed up for it ended up on the full Aus deal courtesy of the AFAP. They stopped the cadet program after that, why buy a cadet when you can get a more experienced pilot for the same price?

Wasn't there something similar with Pacific Blue ?

I remember seeing their Dash 8 running around Oz on a ZK rego. Doing a tourist charter IIRC.