New Zealand News

But Ministry of Defence corporate relations manager Jock Vennell says publication of the review had been delayed by lengthy consultations, including discussions with Australia.

In late October it was in draft form and being circulated for study. The review was to establish the level of air combat capability that should be maintained. As a result the Skyhawk force was under study to see if its capability was more than needed to meet defence requirements. If the Skyhawk capability was found to be in excess of requirements, the report would also look at ways of reducing it.

Mr Vennell said options included: • retaining the 21 Skyhawks in two squadrons; • not replacing them at the end of their economic life around 2001; • selling them; •extending shared operation with Australia; • mothballing them, or • retaining half a dozen Skyhawks for air defence training with the army and navy and mothballing the rest.

One squadron is based in Australia at Nowra to provide air defence training for the Australian navy. (Refer June 91 AA)

The May policy paper said the review would also consider alternative ways of providing a minimum level of air support and combat contributions to regional and collective security. The report was being considered by the Australian Defence Force as part of the closer defence relations program.

Meantime the RNZAF News reports that further cracks have been found in five of the No14 Squadron Strikemasters. The discovery of the cracks left the squadron short of aircraft and emphasised the need for the new Italian Aermacchis. Two of the five Strikemasters have more serious cracks and may be beyond repair,says the News. The CO of 14 Squadron, Sqn Ldr Nick Pedley, wants to use the Aermacchis for Operations Flight training and take the load off the Strikemasters. The first conversion course using the Italian aircraft commenced in September.

The aim is to have the January 1993 Wings Course train on the Macchis.

Beacons Unchecked for Years – Pilots

Airline pilots have questioned the safety of New Zealand’s aviation system after a survey revealed that fewer than 50% of certain navigational aids had been checked since 1987.

Details of inspections of radio beacons made available to the Airline Pilots Association under the Official Information Act, showed that of NZ’s 60 beacons, only 16 had been checked in the past year.

Nine of those had been inspected because a problem had been detected. Only 26 of the total had been checked at all since

1987. The pilots say this appears to be well below international

standards. The pilots have also outlined their concerns in a submission to a parliamentary committee. The communications and road safety committee was investigating a $NZ14 million calibration flight unit contract. Last year the Airways Corporation awarded the calibration contract to Australia’s Civil Aviation Authority.

In reply to the pilots, the Ministry of Transport’s director of civil aviation safety pointed out that this country’s non directional and locator beacons were not subject to periodic checks. International authorities had been told of the difference to published standards.

The pilots’ association noted that NZ’s unpredictable weather and rugged terrain meant it could not, without periodic checks, “confidently presume the reliability and integrity of its radio navigation aids”.

Lack of Clari Ty in Air NZ Deal

Prospective shareholders in Air New Zealand should have been told of funding arrangements between the airline’s main shareholders when the company was floated just over two years ago, a Securities Commission investigation into the issue has found.

Brierley Investments, Qantas, American Airlines and Japan Airlines should have fully disclosed the terms and conditions of the agreements as they were material to the decisions of prospective shareholders, said the commission.

The commission noted a lack of clarity in the wording of substantial security holder notices, a lack of regulation governing offers made to the public on the secondary market, and an error in the timing of the filing of the security holder notices left the companies with great difficulties in interpreting what was required of them, the report said.

The commission’s inquiries were initiated following media reports early this year that Qantas had the ability to control a majority of shares in Air New Zealand.

Award for Air Safe Ty

An award to commemorate the pilot of the Air New Zealand DC-10 which crashed into Mt Erebus, Antarctica, has been set up- almost 12 years after the accident which killed all 257 people on board the sightseeing flight.

The New Zealand Airlines Pilots Association said that, in conjunction with the family of the late Captain Jim Collins, it was establishing the Collins Family Award for exceptional contribution to aviation safety.

The award is in memory of Captain Collins and the crew of flight TE901 which crashed on 28 November 1979. The trophy is engraved with a map of Antarctica marked with the planned and actual flight tracks of the aircraft.

500 Jobs Online – Air NZ

Air New Zealand has told the Employment Court, Auckland that at least 500 more jobs would be in jeopardy unless it is able to cut costs further.

The airline said its catering operation was in crisis and a decision to replace 156 Auckland ground staff in August with contractors had been no “sham” or bargaining device.

Air New Zealand opposed applications by the workers and their unions for an interim injunction and judicial review of what they claim was a decision to lock them out of an essential industry without lawful notice.

Counsel for the workers submitted that they had not been made redundant as their jobs were being do,ne by contractors and had not disappeared. Counsel also accused the airline of holding a “gun to the head” of remaining workers by pressing them to agree to changed working conditions while reminding them of what had happened to their colleagues.

In an affidavit, the airline’s chief executive, Jim McCrea, stated that without cost savings Air New Zealand might have to shut its entire catering operation with the loss of more jobs. This was because of new competition, including a second flight kitchen which recently opened at Auckland international airport with lower labour costs. Mr McCrea referred to the deep recession in the international aviation industry and forecast even more redundancies spreading right across Air New Zealand’s operations. “I can seen no alternative to further redundancies – the question is, how many jobs can be preserved both through the use of independent contractors and renegotiation?”

Later in the hearing Air New Zealand said it had followed correct procedures in dismissing the 156 staff despite uncontested evidence that union officials received no more than 20 minutes notice. The airline’s counsel told the court that registered redundancy agreements covering the workers did not specify how much notice had to be given to their union representatives. Counsel for the workers and their two unions had submitted that there had been insufficient notice to allow consultation over who was to be made redundant.

Airline counsel said Air New Zealand was paying more than $NZ4m as well as six weeks ‘ weekspay. Air New Zealand staff had spent 20 days trying to negotiate a new pay deal, said counsel. Judge Graeme Colgan then issued a compliance order restraining Air New Zealand from dismissing other employees without 14 days notice. He refused applications by the workers and their unions for an interim injunction and judicial review of what they claimed was a lockout of an essential service without lawful notice.

The compliance order will stand until the case is heard in full early next year, unless a further court order is made.

Later Air New Zealand withdrew from negotiations with its 81 catering staff at Christchurch after presenting a final offer which involved pay cuts, reductions in holidays and lower penalty rates.

Cas Term Extended

The government has extended the Chief of Air Staff’s term by 10 months. Air Vice Marshal Peter Adamson’s term as CAS now ends next August.

Flying Boat Passed In

A flying boat which for 10 years served with the RNZAF, was passed in when it recently went up for auction at Sothebys, London. The Sunderland was estimated to be worth up to $NZ1. 64m but bidding did not reach the reserve price, a figure officials declined to disclose. The aircraft was part of the RNZAF fleet between 1953 and 1963.

NZ Robin Flies Again

After some 18 months on the ground a special robin has taken wing again.

Mount Cook Airlines has leased an Air New Zealand Fokker Friendship which first entered service in 1961. ZK-BXF logged 78,587 landings for the old National Airways Corporation and Air New Zealand before finally being withdrawn from service in April 1990.

MCA, which operates six Hawker Siddeley 748s, asked big brother (Air NZhas 100% interest in the Mount Cook Group) todo about 3,000 hours work on BXF called Karuwai in NAC’s era (Maori for robin), and today the robin displays the famous Mount Cook lily on its tail. Season’s greetings, readers.