Travel squeeze: Air Line Pilots Association warning to passengers

Air New Zealand's domestic network is under strain. Photo / Mark Mitchell.

A pilots' union warns there could be longer-term problems crewing aircraft in New Zealand as travellers battle school-holiday flight delays and disruption.

The New Zealand Air Line Pilots' Association (NZALPA) says the current disruption is not a result of a shortage of pilots but the global shortage, and a crimped pipeline of trainees, could hurt travellers.

Air New Zealand today said it continued to face disruption across its network due to wild weather conditions, employee sickness and engineering issues.

"These conditions, coupled with the busiest period of travel we have seen since pre-Covid, really is the perfect storm and our teams are working around the clock to help ease these pressures," said Leanne Geraghty, chief customer and sales officer.

Geraghty said delays and cancellations may continue across the coming few days.

The pilots' association president Andrew Ridling told the Herald there hadn't yet been a shortage of pilots in New Zealand.

Air NZ was recruiting 1100 staff to plug gaps, with the most acute shortages among airport staff and in its call centre.

The airline said last week it was looking for about 70 pilots for its turboprop fleet to fill gaps left by those who had been promoted to fly jets.

Ridling said there was a big battery of pilots who were laid off or stood down in 2020 who were available to come back.

The biggest employer here, Air NZ, shed about 300 of its 1200-strong group of pilots.

"From a pilot's perspective, it's been like having a bit of a battery of pilots that we can start calling back," said Ridling.

Pilots say there isn't a shortage of staff - yet. Photo / Grant Bradley

The network had been busier than anybody ever expected, he said.

He said Air NZ was doing a good job in difficult circumstances.

"But they are restricted by that you just can't go and pick up an airplane and fill it full of cabin crew and engineers that go with it. Pilots could quickly be the constraint but we're not the constraint this time."

He supported the airline's decision to cancel flights if there was a shortage of staff due to Covid or other illness.

One cause of delays was the very full flights. It took more time to board and disembark full aircraft, which could be frustrating for passengers.

Ridling is a Dreamliner captain who has flown throughout the pandemic and said in other parts of the world disruption was even worse, with about 10 per cent of flights cancelled in Europe and the US network struggling.

Sydney and Melbourne airports have been congested and flights disrupted there.

Ridling flew from Brisbane to Auckland yesterday and a shortage of ground staff across the Tasman led to a 30-minute delay.

"We're lucky in New Zealand because I don't think [it's] back to full capacity yet. That's because of a slow border opening," he said.

But as capacity came back with the re-introduction of Boeing 777-300s, more pilots would be required.

They needed three months of retraining in simulators, in the classroom and live flying and he said one pinch point was the need to train the trainers.

Air New Zealand was sending pilots to Singapore for simulator training, Ridling said.

"The issue really which is the global issue is trying to train pilots. It takes three months to get someone in the front door, and then trained and usable. Everybody's trying to inject capacity but with the short notice that the Government has given that obviously puts pressure on the industry," he said.

"I'm expecting most people will want to come back to the industry that they loved at the time."

He said there should be enough pilots by early next year, even if Air New Zealand capacity was restored to near pre-pandemic levels.

But then longer-term problems could emerge. A growing risk was pilots being poached by overseas airlines, which are now suffering severe shortages.

Andrew Ridling, President of the NZ Air Line Pilots Association. Photo / Greg Bowker

"We went into Covid with a global pilot shortage and I think it's going to manifest itself over and over."

The association has made the Government aware of its concerns before and would again this week.

United States airlines were scouting for pilots in this region.

"Anyone with Australian citizenship and a pilot's licence can get the Green Card to go to America. That's never happened before."

The closure of flight schools to overseas students during the pandemic was also exacerbating the problem.

On current projections, the Asia-Pacific region was looking at a shortfall of 29,000 pilots by 2030.

Ridling said that in spite of New Zealand airports being full, he wasn't encountering too many grumpy passengers but asked for patience.

Airline staff were doing their best as the industry - which two years ago was on its knees - was rebuilding.

Air New Zealand's Geraghty said to help ease the pressure and help customers also dealing with illness, the airline reinstated its flexibility policy.

This allowed customers with flights booked between now and July 31 to hold the value of their fare in credit for 12 months from the time they requested their credit - or change their flight and have their change fee waived.

Around 2500 people had taken up the opportunity to opt into credit in the past 24 hours.

"We encourage anyone who no longer wishes to travel to opt into credit to free up seats for others."

She said the airline had many volunteers coming in on days off and some of its office-based staff helping out on the frontline.