Air New Zealand hikes wages for airport workers; Announces return of Bali flights

Air New Zealand announced it has increased its entry wage to NZ$30 per hour as it looks to attract around 400 people to join its Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch airport teams. Air New Zealand Chief People Officer Nikki Dines says the airline is continuing to ramp up operations to meet growing demand, and a critical part of this is rebuilding its airports team. “I’m pleased that we’re continuing to welcome more people to our whānau and that we’re in a position to invest further in our people. It’s not just new employees that will benefit from this change. We’re giving our current staff the choice to either keep their current pay structure, with an increased hourly rate and weekend penalty rates or switch over to a new rolled up rate, starting from NZ$30 per hour. For those looking to join, this is an amazing opportunity to be part of something special. The Air New Zealand whānau is your family away from home. At Air New Zealand, we work hard to ensure our people are offered the same care as we offer our customers.” As well as increasing entry level rates, annual pay increases are provided to all airport employees, along with opportunities to gain more skills and access further pay increases. Over the next 13-month period from 1 March 2023 to 31 March 2024, airport workers across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch will receive a pay rise of between 9.5 percent and 26 percent. Air New Zealand resumes non-stop flights to Denpasar Air New Zealand said it has resumed its non-stop services to the popular Indonesian holiday spot for first time in three years. “Bali is one of our most popular routes, with more than 17,000 customers welcomed onboard our Air New Zealand aircraft bound for Denpasar in 2019 alone,” says Air New Zealand Chief Customer and Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty. The service will be one of three non-stop flights to Denpasar a week from now until the seasonal service wraps up for the year on 27 October. The service will increase to five times a week during the busy winter and school holiday period between 26 June and 30 July. Bookings for Bali have been strong since the airline announced it would fly non-stop to the destination again, with over 10,000 seats sold in the first week. July is the most popular month for Bali holidaymakers, with 8,500 customers booked to travel as holidaymakers look to escape winter for the school holidays. June and April are also very popular months. The airline will fly a 787-9 Dreamliner and customers will receive a meal, Inflight Entertainment, and a checked bag regardless of what cabin they’re in. Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno says resuming non-stop services is wonderful news for the country, which relies heavily on tourism. “Bali is, and will continue to be, the icon for Indonesia’s tourism industry, making up 41 percent of the country’s total tourism, and Ngurah Rai International Airport (Denpasar International Airport) is by far the biggest entry point for foreign tourists.” For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Kay Rolland at [email protected]