Cath O'Brien: Board of Airline Representatives NZ executive director on Air New Zealand cutting 1100 flights

One expert has suggested Jetstar won't follow Air New Zealand in cutting upcoming domestic flights.

The airline plans to cancel about 1100 flights over the next six to eight weeks because of fuel price hikes - impacting about 44,000 passengers.

It's already raised fares to help cover costs.

Board of Airline Representatives NZ executive director Cath O'Brien, says Jetstar's unlikely to do the same because Air New Zealand's domestic network has a wider spread.

"They have a wholly different problem than Jetstar, which is operating trunk services and jets only."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
And on that subject, regional mayors are worrying after news
that Air New Zealand is cutting one one hundred flights
because of the spike and the jet fuel prices. No
routes themselves have been cut yet, but some will not
get as many flights as they do at the moment.
Kath O'Brien is the executive director of the Board of
Airline Representatives and with US high cat Hi Heather. Now,
what's worrying the mayors is the possibility that any flights

(00:22):
that are cut will not be restored. Do you think
that they are right to be worried?

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Look, I think what I understand from a New Zealand
is that this is a temporary response to what we
all hope is a temporary extreme spike and jet fuel prices.
So I think that at this stage we're just looking
at a temporary response.

Speaker 1 (00:39):
Okay, Craig's investment, When does it not become a temporary response?

Speaker 3 (00:42):
Cat Well, I think Shane has similar concerns, right Master
Jones has got the same question, and I think you know, unfortunately.

Speaker 2 (00:50):
Airlines are very familiar with jet fuel allocation when we
have jet fuel shortage, and we have responded to those
situations in the past recent years, and so I hope
that we don't find ourselves in that position, but if
we do, you know, there'll be more trouble at.

Speaker 1 (01:09):
Milton Okay, Greig's investment partner says they can't understand why
flights are being cut given that aircraft are eighty five
percent full.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
I think that my understanding is that the flights that
have been consolidated, which means that you know, essentially they're
moving two into one, that sort of thing off peak services,
so they will not be eighty five percent full. And
also if they were, you'd have a whole huge number
of customers unable to travel because if you try to
join two into one and they were both full, then
they wouldn't work, right. So I don't think that's the case.

(01:41):
I think we're talking about off peak services that are
already not particularly well patronized, and then those are being
consolidated where they can be to essentially be really efficient
with a really expensive product.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
Is Jetstar do you think likely to do the same
thing or not because they have so few flights already.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
Yeah, they've got a totally different network. In New Zealander
is operating a regional network that goes much greater geographic
distance to many more ports, and they have a wholly
different problem than Jetstar, which is operating trunk services using
jets only.

Speaker 1 (02:18):
Kath, it's good to talk to you always, as Kath O'Brien,
Board of Airline Representatives, Executive director. For more from Heather
Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to news talks. It'd be
from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.