Air NZ eyes border rules, more crew

Air NZ is rehiring an additional 115 long-haul crew on fixed term contracts after the Ministry of Health told the airline to prepare for tighter border requirements.

The news comes swiftly after the airline confirmed that 40 longhaul crew were last week recalled on fixed term contracts to accommodate changes to its international schedule, including new layover protocols for North American flights.

The recruitment drive is in addition to 175 Airbus A320 cabin crew being recalled from furlough in preparation for Tasman and Cook Island travel bubbles and the hiring of regional cabin crew on fixed term contracts in four centres. In the past nine months the airline let go more than 4000 staff and downsized by a third as it navigated headwinds created by the pandemic.

Air NZ general manager of cabin crew Leeanne Langridge said the Ministry of Health asked the airline to consider additional options for international air crew in the event border requirements might need to tighten or overseas destinations moved to a higher risk category due to rapidly increasing Covid-19 cases.

In light of increasing Covid-19 cases in California, Air NZ will begin rerouting its North America flights through Honolulu as it offers a safer layover for aircrew. ‘‘This change and the potential of further border measures means we have a temporary shortfall of crew for longhaul operations,’’ Langridge said.

When the airline contacted redundant cabin crew to fill the 115 fixed term roles, it received more than 400 applications.

E tu¯ aviation spokesman Savage said the union and cabin crew leaders were told several days ago the temporary positions were in expectation that the Ministry of Health might need to tighten border requirements for returning air crew.

‘‘In particular the possibility that crew might be required to quarantine in hotels while awaiting test results and that this may apply to destinations like Shanghai as well as LA,’’ Savage said.

If this were to happen it would have a flow-on effect for the airline’s February flight schedule and subsequent crew rosters.

New Zealand-based international air crew are mostly exempt from a 14-day isolation or quarantine period as long as they meet certain conditions, both in flight and during layovers.

Air crew returning to New Zealand from higher risk places overseas, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, face additional measures, such as selfisolation for 48 hours.

Overseas-based air crew are required to stay in a managed isolation facility and self-isolate for the duration of their layover while in New Zealand.