Upfront with NZALPA President

As discussed in previous updates, the Air New Zealand Career Pathways Working Group was established to provide Air New Zealand and its pilot unions a robust and transparent method for ensuring the future supply and retention of pilots for the entire Air New Zealand group.

The NZALPA team has been working through an interest based problem solving (IBPS) process alongside Air New Zealand pilot management and the minor pilot union, Federation of Air New Zealand Pilots (FANZP), as part of this Career Pathways Working Group.

The key areas being considered are: seniority/progression, which includes new pilot recruitment and training; basing; and employment structure, including the transition between Air New Zealand Group fleets.

Together, the Working Group has developed the following issue statement:

How do we create and implement a superior career pathway that provides attractive long- term career and lifestyle opportunities for all pilots within the Air New Zealand group, that supports a suitable and sustainable pilot supply that meets the business needs and operational requirements whilst enhancing retention and competitiveness?

Over the last four months we’ve carried out substantial work to respond to this.

So far, one of the major outcomes of the Career Pathways Working Group has been to refine and agree on a signed tripartite memorandum for the 70 per cent Regional/30 per cent external pilot draw-down ratio into the Air New Zealand jet operation. This memorandum includes the ‘tag and release’ process for Regional pilots.

We have also engaged with the Air New Zealand Standards and Training department on how to support the transition process to Jet services for our Regional pilots. The Standards and Training process, which will replace the existing recruitment process (for Regional transitions), is commensurate with the more secure career pathway we are now providing pilots from Regional to Jet.

We believe this is a constructive step forward for our Regional pilots and will provide more certainty for their Air New Zealand Jet career options.

The Career Pathways Working Group will be meeting again in early November.

Meanwhile, we have further plans to keep exploring what a Regional Collective Agreement could look like (in accordance with the NZALPA 2017 Air Nelson and Mount Cook Airlines Terms of Settlement).

We also plan to strengthen ties with the Preferred Flight Training Organisations (PFTO) and explore potential opportunities for cadet programmes to ensure a sustainable supply of Air New Zealand group pilots in the future.

In addition, we will continue the important consultation with our Jet members concerning the possible addition of the Regional Seniority List to the bottom of the Jet Seniority List.

We will also continue the Regional Work Pattern Improvement Team (WPIT), Time Away From Base (TAFB), and Regional allowances IBPS groups. These groups are scheduled to continue ongoing work, with additional work expected to be completed on regional basing.

Meanwhile, the new NZALPA Branch roles and structures became effective on 1 August this year. The recent September Board of Management meeting approved the formation of five new Branches – North Shore, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Hawkes Bay and Canterbury.

I look forward to working with these new branches to strengthen and develop their roles as active meeting and social forums for our membership.

Have a safe month

Tim Robinson