Thousands of Air New Zealand customers have had their flights cancelled as cabin crew walked off the job, with a warning more could be on the horizon.
Unionised flight attendants on long-haul flights walked off the job on Thursday in the first of a two-day strike aimed at receiving better pay and working conditions at the national carrier.
The industrial action led to the cancellation of 46 international flights, including long-haul flights across Asia and North America – affecting around 9500 customers.
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Unionised flight attendants on long-haul flights walked off the job, affecting thousands of passengers. (Source: 1News)
Air New Zealand cabin crew member Chloe Potae said the picketing was "a last resort" for staff.
"We’ve been in negotiations for over nine months now and honestly, we’re just really tired… we’re tired of asking.”
Flight Attendants’ Association of New Zealand president Craig Featherby said the airline "needs to recognise it is time to lift those wages, improve their conditions and also fix it".
"Customers are telling us every day, 'Hey, what’s going on here? Where’s the Air New Zealand that we know and we love?'"
Air NZ chief people officer Nikki Dines said the airline has contacted affected customers and offered them re-accommodation options or refunds.
Outside the company’s head office, Air NZ boss Nikhil Ravishankar met with frustrated workers.
Cabin crew want their base pay boosted and argue extra travel allowances are not guaranteed income.
The unions hope the strike will be enough to reach a deal with the airline, but they are not ruling out further action if an agreement can’t be met.
E Tū national secretary Rachel Mackintosh said the union is “hopeful that Air New Zealand will get the message today of how committed and unit the crew are, and that we can get this sorted before having to take another strike”.
Meanwhile, Dines said Air New Zealand has "come to the table with what we think is a really fair offer".
"But we will be trying to find some common ground in that facilitated bargaining."
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