New Zealand: Airline workers threaten to strike during Christmas travel season

Event

Air New Zealand reported that its employees are planning to strike on Friday, December 21, which is expected to be the busiest air travel day of the year for the country. Around 1000 members of the Aviation and Marine Engineers Association (AMEA), which includes maintenance engineers, logisticians, and other staff, will participate in the strike. Air New Zealand and AMEA will hold negotiations on Monday, December 10, though flight delays and cancelations are expected if the dispute is not resolved. AMEA warned that further strikes are possible in the coming weeks.

Context

As of Friday, December 7, an estimated 42,000 passengers are scheduled to fly Air New Zealand on December 21.

Advice

Individuals traveling to and from New Zealand are advised to confirm their flight reservations, adjust their schedules as necessary, and anticipate flight delays and cancelations.