To fill staffing gaps during the busy July holiday season, Air New Zealand has encouraged employees to work overtime and donate their time.
The airline reported having its biggest holiday travel season in three years and blamed the shortfall on a higher-than-normal percentage of employee sickness.
In a letter addressed to staff, which was seen by local newspaper The New Zealand Herald on July 14, 2022, Air New Zealand said that it is “looking for some wonderful willing volunteers” who can help the struggling carrier “spread some magic with our customers during the school holiday period at Auckland (AKL), Wellington (WLG) and Christchurch (CHC) airports”.
“Like our flights, your wonderful skills are in demand,” the airline said, adding that it requires additional help from now until July 25, 2022.
Passengers have already been forewarned by Air New Zealand about anticipated operational difficulties and delays brought on by increased operational pressure because of staff shortages. The airline has utilized a volunteer-based system in the past to handle the increase in customer demand for air travel during busy holiday seasons.
When the nation ultimately restarts all international air travel and completely reopens its borders by July 31, 2022, the carrier might experience increased strain. The government will lift its rigorous COVID-19 travel restrictions for both air and sea travel, allowing cruise ships to return to nearby ports.
