Air New Zealand named eco airline of the year 

Air New Zealand has been named eco airline of the year in the Air Transport World 45th annual airline industry achievement awards. 

It was also awarded a passenger experience achievement for its skycouch.

Air Transport World targets the global airline and commercial air transport communities. 

The eco airline award citation highlights Air New Zealand’s ’Project Green’ to reduce waste, its transition to a technologically advanced, renewably powered electric ground vehicle fleet, and its support for endangered species.

Read more HERE.

Airways NZ launches ATC training in Kuwait

Airways New Zealand has partnered with the Australian College of Kuwait (ACK) to establish an air traffic control training academy for the training of Kuwaiti students. 

The Kuwait Ministry of Defence appointed the Australian College of Kuwait and its partners Airways International Ltd (NZ) and 3SDL (UK) as its training providers. 

The Australian College of Kuwait (ACK) is responsible for overall training management along with Engineering and Flight Training programmes while Airways is responsible for Air Traffic Control training and 3SDL Fighter Controller training.

As part of the joint venture partnership agreement Airways is providing a one-year training programme at ACK for a group of air traffic control (ATC) students, and has installed a Total Control tower simulator and two radar simulators at its campus in Kuwait for use during training. 

A group of ATC students began training at the new academy in September, studying ICAO 291 - Aviation English Services, ICAO 051 – ATS Licensing Subjects, ICAO 052 – Aerodrome Control, ICAO 054 – Approach and Area Surveillance, and ICAO 053/055 – Approach and Area Control Procedural courses. 

Read more HERE.

NZALPA clear message to employers: Bullying and harassment must end 

NZALPA publicly demanded an end to alleged bullying and harassment at the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust (ARHT) following media coverage of behaviour at the Trust late last year. 

NZALPA also called for an inquiry into the Trust’s management and its governance board. 

Dawn Handforth, NZALPA’s General Manager, told national media that this was the worst case of bullying and harassment she has encountered in 18 years as a legal advocate in the aviation industry. 

The bullying had been going on for some time and no action was taken by the trust board after pilots brought this to their attention. 

Trust Chief Executive Greg Barrow stepped down from his CEO position in December. 

Dawn Handforth called for a full inquiry looking at all aspects of management and governance at the Trust, to see how this was allowed to happen and to continue for so long.  

She also said it was important to know what action the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) was taking and why it had not stepped in earlier.

Meanwhile, NZALPA understands that the planned merger between the ARHT and the Northland Emergency Services Trust (NEST) is no longer taking place and that the National Ambulance Sector Office (NASO) contract is yet to be officially signed with the Government for these operators to cover the region.

It had been expected that the merger of the two trusts would be signed off late last year and a combined service would be up and running by the end of March. 

The proposed merger was a response to the Government changing its tenders for air ambulance services. This included reducing the number of regions covered by the tenders across New Zealand from 11 to just three. 

Read more HERE.

Government funding for flight training school

The Government is injecting $400,000 from the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) to fund the first stage of an advanced aviation hub at Whanganui Airport.

Announced late last year, the funding will support development of a business case to expand existing facilities at the International Commercial Pilots Academy, and create an advanced simulation centre. 

The academy wants to increase the number of students it trains each year from 83 to 200.

Purchased by Whanganui District Council Holdings in 2015 as a way of keeping the city’s airport financially viable, the academy currently trains some local pilots (16 at any one time), with the remainder coming from overseas. 

The aviation hub funding was part of a Provincial Growth Fund package for Manawatū-Whanganui of about $48 million. 

Read more HERE.