Ryan Bridge: Air New Zealand isn't making me proud

Reading the Air New Zealand results was a bit disappointing - even more so was the commentary after. 

Profit's down, demand is down, costs are on the march, capacity still buggered by engine problems. 

Here's the real punch in the guts for our national carrier: they won't be back to full capacity for the best of two more years. Foran confirmed it last night. 

There's something about a national carrier that should make you feel a bit proud. 

When you've been overseas and travelled the world, not seen a Kiwi in ages, jumping onboard that last leg home, hearing the accent - the comfort of Kiwi service. 

Foran's had a rough time in the job. Border closures and lockdowns, is there anything worse for the new boss of a global airline? 

The Rolls Royce and other engine issues - again, not really his fault. 

You can plan around that stuff but even those plans have had to change. The engine makers' timelines for a fit-it job have been pushed out.

And then there's the prices - we all love to whine about the prices, including me. 

A return weekend flight from Auckland to Wellington, for the middle of next month, will cost me close to 800 bucks! And guess what? They're going to keep going up - an extra five percent in the near future.

As Foran hits the departure lounge to make way for a new Captain of our national treasure —if we'd still call it that— the question is what would or should he have done differently?  

For all the faults and complaints and price hikes, is there anything anyone has suggested that could have fixed these problems while not simultaneously sinking the business, or worse, forcing it to go, once again, cap in hand to the government for another handout? 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Reading the New Zealand results yesterday, did you see those?
Bit depressing? Even more so was the commentary afterwards. Profit down,
demand down, costs on the March. Capacity is still buggered
by those engine problems and the real punch in the
guts for our national carrier. They won't be back to
full capacity for the best part of two more years.

(00:22):
Foreurn confirmed that last night, which is sad. It looks
like a bit of a wounded, bruised, not in full
health national carrier, doesn't it. And there's something about your
national carrier that should make you feel a little bit proud.
You know, when you've been overseas and you've traveled the
world and you've not seen a fellow New Zealander in
ages a long time, jumping on board that last leg home,

(00:44):
hearing the accent the comfort of Kiwi service makes you
feel a bit proud. So you should be proud of
your national carrier. Foreun has had a rough time in
the job, There's no doubt about that. Border closures, lockdowns.
Is there anything worse for the new boss of a
global airline? I don't think so. The Rolls Royce, the
other engine issues again not really his fault. You can

(01:07):
plan around that stuff. But even those plans have had
to change because the engine makers there are timelines for
the fix it jobs. They've been pushed out. And then
there's the prices. All we love to whine about the prices,
including me, and I'll get one on record. Return weekend
flight from Auckland to Wellington for the middle of next
month will cost you close to eight hundred bucks return

(01:30):
Auckland Wellington. I mean to be fair, it's only a
couple of weeks away. Still, let's wine and guess what.
There's going to be more of this to come, an
extra five percent in the near future of price increases
and as forum hits the departure allounge to make way
for a new captain of our national treasure, if we'd
still call it that. The question is what would or

(01:53):
should he have done differently? Look at Quantis, that's a
bit of a mess I'd probably take in New Zealand
over Quantas right now, For all the faults and all
the complaints and all the price hikes, is there anything
anyone has suggested that could have fixed these problems while
not simultaneously sinking the business or worse, forcing it to
go once again. Cap in hand to the government for

(02:14):
another handout. For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge,
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