Air NZ maintenance to move to Chch
Air New Zealand will be moving its regional heavy maintenance facility from Nelson, resulting in the loss of 89 jobs in the region.
The airline put forward the proposal in order to cut costs last month, and after consulting with unions and stakeholders on Thursday this week confirmed the proposal, despite a 16,000-strong petition against the move. Turboprop heavy maintenance will be moved to Christchurch airport, while line maintenance will continue in Nelson. Of the 89 jobs lost in Nelson, just 15 will be available in Christchurch.
Heavy maintenance work will start moving to Christchurch later this year, but the process is expected to take more than six months.
In a statement, Air New Zealand said the disruption from Covid-19 meant that ‘‘for the foreseeable future Air New Zealand will be a much smaller airline requiring fewer maintenance demands’’.
‘‘Demand for aircraft maintenance contract work has deteriorated, including in Nelson. Following consultation and a review of alternative feedback and options, there were considerations to increase maintenance demand in Nelson, however, due to runway constraints (being too short to allow Air New Zealand A320 and A321 aircraft) additional maintenance is unable to be relocated to Nelson.’’
Heavy maintenance of turboprop aircraft, ATR and Q300 planes will move to Christchurch, with just line maintenance retained in Nelson at Air New Zealand Regional Maintenance Ltd (RML).
Air New Zealand said it ‘‘remains committed to the NelsonTasman region and looks forward to supporting the return of domestic tourism to the region’’.
Nelson Airport chairman Paul Steere said he was ‘‘disappointed for the region’’, but understood that Air New Zealand was in a difficult position. ‘‘Air New Zealand is under the pump in many ways, domestically and internationally ... it’s not easy for them, it’s a competitive industry.’’ Steere said he was also saddened on behalf of the employees who were affected and for the wider
Nelson community.
‘‘It’s disappointing for me as a citizen. They are an important part of our community ... they’re highly experienced, and now suddenly without employment.’’
He said despite the loss of the heavy maintenance work, he was confident for Nelson Airport’s future.
‘‘It’s getting back to some degree of normalcy, and that will climb over the coming months ... [Air New Zealand] have confirmed their commitment to Nelson, it’s the most important regional airport in their network. We look to support promotion of Nelson as a destination.’’
Nelson MP Nick Smith, who presented the petition against the move to Parliament on Wednesday, said he was ‘‘gutted’’ by the decision and disappointed in the ‘‘lack of interest from the Government’’ in saving the regional facility.
‘‘This is an industry that’s taken two decades to build up and it will be very difficult to re-establish. I don’t think the company has given proper consideration to alternative plans for managing the downturn that would have seen the maintenance facilities retained in Nelson.
‘‘I accept some downsizing is inevitable with the huge decline in aviation, but want to keep the option of returning the heavy engineering base [to Nelson] on the table.’’
He said the $900 million loan from the Government, and the fact that the Government owned 53 per cent of the company’s shares, meant more should have been done to preserve jobs and services in the regions. He said he was not giving up on the return of heavy maintenance to Nelson.
‘‘The best hope is a change of Government, where the retention of these skills is seen as a priority.
‘‘I’m confident that firstly domestic tourism and then international travel will recover, and it’s about ensuring those skills are not lost in the interim, making it impossible for the long-term recovery.
‘‘The Government’s throwing $70m at industries like racing, it is quite proper to provide funding for retention of a skill set in an industry that we know will recover.’’