Air New Zealand stands down 15 aircrew identified as close contacts of Omicron-positive case

Following the Government's announcement that the country will move to the red traffic light at midnight tonight, Air New Zealand say they will continue to operate domestic services and have stood down 15 aircrew members as close contacts of a positive case.

CEO Greg Foran says like all businesses, the airline is preparing for the impact Omicron will have on its customers and employees.

"Our priority has always been and continues to be, keeping our employees, customers and New Zealand safe. The great news is, you can continue to fly during the red setting and there are no regional borders in place. However, we do expect to see some impact to our operation."

"As a result of one of our employees testing positive for Omicron, subsequently, around 15 aircrew have been stood down as close contacts. They are well and are testing and isolating in accordance with Ministry of Health guidelines."

"What this does mean is that while we will continue to do all we can to keep Aotearoa connected, we expect to see some schedule changes and cancellations over the coming weeks due to Covid".

In a statement, Air New Zealand said it has significant precautions in place for crew set out by the Ministry of Health and the airline's medical team, including wearing PPE and regular surveillance testing.

Air New Zealand operating aircrew and customer-facing employees are fully vaccinated and customers over the age of 12 travelling with Air New Zealand domestically need to show either proof of vaccination or proof of a recent negative test result and vaccination requirement for all international passengers comes into effect from February 1.

The airline paused in-flight food and beverage service from January 1, 2022, to enable customers to keep their masks on for the duration of domestic flights.

Air New Zealand lounges will be open as usual and customers are advised to upload their vaccine pass to their Airpoints profile when booking in online.