Air NZ-Pratt & Whitney venture creates many jobs

By DANIEL RIORDAN aviation writer

Air New Zealand is close to signing a joint-venture agreement with US engine maker Pratt & Whitney to expand its Christchurch engineering base. Air NZ chief executive Gary Toomey said only minor details remain to be ironed out.

However, even more engineers will be needed to cope with the daunting workload ahead.

Pratt & Whitney engines power half the world's commercial aircraft, and its investment will see the engine section of the base expanded to handle the stripping-down and rebuilding of aircraft engines for airlines from around the world.

Engineers on-site say they have been told the company's engineering group, Ansett Australia & Air New Zealand Engineering Services, has about 500,000 more hours of work lined up this year than it has engineers. Some of this extra work will be carried out in Melbourne and Auckland.

Based on 40-hour weeks and 48 weeks a year being worked, those 520,000 hours equate to 270 extra workers.

The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union expects all 70 engineers who worked with Qantas NZ to get jobs with Air New Zealand.

Air NZ said on Wednesday that it wanted to employ a further 200 engineers, as part of 520 operational vacancies it was seeking to fill on both sides of the Tasman.

Richard Darlow, president of the Aviation and Marine Engineers Association, said 400 engineers would transfer across to the new engine servicing area, which is being built beside the existing maintenance hangar near Christchurch Airport.

The Pratt & Whitney deal was to have been inked over the weekend, but union sources say the signing was delayed by disputes over staff benefits such as travel concessions and superannuation. However, those differences have since been essentially resolved.

Unions expect about 600 jobs to be created over time, including clerical and other support staff.

Reports that Pratt & Whitney was considering investing in the base surfaced last August, and in February Air NZ chairman Sir Selwyn Cushing confirmed that the deal was being negotiated. Financial details have not been disclosed, beyond the partnership split - Pratt & Whitney 51 per cent and Air NZ 49 per cent.

Pratt & Whitney is understood to have first looked at setting up a base in Singapore, but when that deal fell through chose Christchurch.

A new plant will be built next year close to the airport. It will service engines from Boeing 767 and Airbus aircraft.

An existing hangar will continue to service JT8D engines, which are used on Boeing 737-200 and 727 aircraft, and are the workhorse of the global aviation industry.

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