Peter Clark: Aviation commentator on Air New Zealand's performance in April

Just 60% of Air New Zealand's trans-Tasman flights took off within 15 minutes of their scheduled time last month.  

A report by the Ministry of Transport shows airline performance for April. 

78% of Jetstar's flights between Australia and New Zealand left on time, and 70% for Qantas.  

Aviation commentator Peter Clark told Ryan Bridge Air New Zealand's has a large fleet, which means more planes needing attention. 

He says aircrafts have to be turned around, serviced, and catered every flight. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We've got data out on plane arrivals for April this morning.
Just sixty percent of Air New Zealand trans Tasman flights
in April left on time sixty percent. Compare that with
Jetstar seventy eight percent of their trans Tasman flights living
on time quantus seventy So why are we so bad?
Peter Clark, Aviation commentator, Peter, it's nice to have you
on the program.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Good morning, good morning to you.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
So what's going on here?

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Well, I think we've got to take it in perspective.
Air New Zealand is the major carrier, but it's also
got a large fleet and they have a large number
of dispatches across the Tasman every day from Wellington, christ Church,
Queenstown and Auckland, so they've got a lot of aircraft
to turn around to get across, and most of those
aircraft have come in from other destinations, then train shipped

(00:49):
through Auckland and then go across. So there's all of
those factors that have to have to be taken into
accounts when you look at these figures and they are
based only on one month the stage.

Speaker 1 (01:01):
Does it are we quite backed up?

Speaker 2 (01:04):
Like?

Speaker 1 (01:04):
Do we use our aircraft for these routes a lot
more than these other airlines.

Speaker 2 (01:09):
Well, I think you've got to say that also they
utilize their aircraft. They're come in from Los Angeles, come
into Auckland and then they'll head off somewhere else or
head off up into the Pacific across the Tasman. That
the Tasman's operated by a lot of the A three
twenty one aircraft. Now, which are they utilize for that?
They have the dispatches for those aircraft going across. But look,

(01:34):
Auckland has congestion, it has problems, and an aircraft gets in,
it's got to be turned around, it's got to be serviced,
it's got to be catered and and then it has
to be sent on its way, and that's the problem. Also,
there can be quite good congestion utilization of staff that
service the aircraft. A lot of the dispatches, especially in

(01:57):
the morning, there's a lot of aircraft departing out of Auckland.
So it's it's it's it's a big it's a big job.
Jetstar probably use their aircraft across the Tasman and then
they use them domestically. The same aircraft up and down
the country, So it's really hard, and I think in

(02:19):
New Zealand do it try hard. There's lots of things.
They probably are over utilizing the aircraft and they turnaround times.
They're not giving themselves enough margin there because they want
to get the aircraft in and out, trying.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
To do too much too quickly. What about the I
looked at the airline performance. There's a domestic jet routes
for April, and I know you said it's only one month,
but if you look at the trend from January, their
performance air New Zone has been slipping month on month.

Speaker 2 (02:48):
Yeah, I think we are seeing that, and I think
they are having problems at the moment. They've got aircraft
problems with the engines and serviceability there. And look, I
only have to say speak from my own self. Just
last a week ago, I was in Singapore. I was
at the gate. My Triple seven Air New Zealand flight
was canceled right at the gate to New Zealand. So

(03:12):
that costs the airline a lot of money when they
can't dispatch an aircraft. So they've got to get those
aircraft in the air. And then we look at domestic
look the weather traffic problems at Airport at Auckland. Busy
times there, air traffic control, weather, all of these things

(03:33):
play into operating an aircraft.

Speaker 1 (03:37):
Now, it's a tricky business, isn't it. Peter appreciate your time.
Peter Clark with us this Morning Aviation commentator. For more
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