JetConnect
Encyclopedia
Jetconnect is an airline
based in Auckland
, New Zealand
. It is a shell company of Qantas
. It was established in July 2002 and started operations in October 2002. It operates trans-tasman services between New Zealand and Australia
under the Qantas brand. It employs crew based in New Zealand and operates aircraft registered in New Zealand. It also operated domestic services within New Zealand until these services were taken over by Jetstar on 10 June 2009. Its main base is Auckland Airport.
There are currently four return Qantas trans-Tasman services not operated by JetConnect:
, who make up crew complement on Qantas
flights throughout the longhaul network, feeding into the system by way of flights from Auckland. The crew operate as contractors
who are therefore cheaper to employ than Australian based full-time employees. .
The airline's cabin crew are also responsible for crewing Jetstar flights based out of Christchurch to Brisbane, Coolangatta (Gold Coast), Melbourne and Sydney.
, Christchurch
and Queenstown
. Services between Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown and Wellington have been replaced with Jetstar services. Services to Rotorua have been withdrawn.
As of November 2011 the Jetconnect fleet consists of the following aircraft:
(AIPA) lodged an application to the Australian industrial relations commission, Fair Work Australia
, seeking to alter their eligibility rules to enable the enrolment of Jetconnect pilots in their union. On May 23 2007 the commission ruled against the union, declining to consider the question, considering it inappropriate for the AIPA to be able to enrol New Zealand based Jetconnect pilots, as they were already eligible to be members of the New Zealand Air Line Pilots' Association
.
In December 2009 the AIPA took Jetconnect parent Qantas to Fair Work Australia, accusing the company of deliberately driving down wages and conditions, by undermining the spirit and intent of the Australian Fair Work Act. The pilot's union accused Qantas of paying Jetconnect pilots 40% less than Qantas
pilots, who six months earlier had been flying the majority of the airline's trans-Tasman services. Qantas was confident that it would win the case, stating: "These are New Zealand pilots operating New Zealand-originated services flying New Zealand-registered aircraft operated by a New Zealand entity".
In May 2010 Fair Work Australia president Justice Geoffrey Giudice agreed to convene a full bench to hear the application, and in July 2010 the Australian Council of Trade Unions
was granted leave to intervene in the case, argued that the outcome would have major ramifications for labour hire practice in Australia. The ACTU made their final submission regarding the case in March 2011, with the case still pending.
In June 2011 the ABC program Hungry Beast
produced a parody television advertisement for Qantas, highlighting the use of Jetconnect for their trans-Tasman flights.
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
based in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It is a shell company of Qantas
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
. It was established in July 2002 and started operations in October 2002. It operates trans-tasman services between New Zealand and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
under the Qantas brand. It employs crew based in New Zealand and operates aircraft registered in New Zealand. It also operated domestic services within New Zealand until these services were taken over by Jetstar on 10 June 2009. Its main base is Auckland Airport.
International Short-Haul
As of August 2010, Jetconnect operates flights to the following destinations. Some routes are shared with Qantas mainline — on these routes some services will be operated by Jetconnect and other services will be operated by Qantas itself.- From Auckland
- BrisbaneBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
(2x daily) - MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
(3x daily) - SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
(4x daily alongside one other Qantas mainline service)
- Brisbane
- From WellingtonWellingtonWellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
- Melbourne (daily)
- Sydney (2x daily)
- From ChristchurchChristchurchChristchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
- Sydney (daily)
There are currently four return Qantas trans-Tasman services not operated by JetConnect:
- From Auckland
- Sydney - QF114/QF141 (alongside four daily JetConnect services)
- From Queenstown
- Brisbane - QF186/QF185
- Melbourne - QF178/QF177
- Sydney - QF122/QF121
International Long-Haul
Jetconnect employs longhaul cabin crew based out of AucklandAuckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, who make up crew complement on Qantas
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
flights throughout the longhaul network, feeding into the system by way of flights from Auckland. The crew operate as contractors
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
who are therefore cheaper to employ than Australian based full-time employees. .
The airline's cabin crew are also responsible for crewing Jetstar flights based out of Christchurch to Brisbane, Coolangatta (Gold Coast), Melbourne and Sydney.
Domestic
Jetconnect operated domestic flights in New Zealand until 9 June 2009. The final domestic service was QF2728 from Wellington to Auckland operated by 737-300 ZK-JNC. Domestic services included routes between Auckland, Wellington, RotoruaRotorua
Rotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns...
, Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
and Queenstown
Queenstown, New Zealand
Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island. It is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes, and has spectacular views of nearby mountains....
. Services between Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown and Wellington have been replaced with Jetstar services. Services to Rotorua have been withdrawn.
Fleet
| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Passengers | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | Y | Total | |||
| Boeing 737-400 Boeing 737 Classic The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new... |
|||||
| Boeing 737-800 Boeing 737 Next Generation The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as Boeing 737NG, is the name given to the -600/-700/-800/-900 series of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of the -300/-400/-500 Classic series. They are short- to medium-range, narrow-body jet airliners... |
|||||
| Total | |||||
Industrial relations
On May 17 2006, the Australian and International Pilots AssociationAustralian and International Pilots Association
The Australian and International Pilots Association is a trade union and professional association formed in 1981 to represent Qantas and its related companies pilots and flight engineers. The AIPA broke away from the Australian Federation of Air Pilots in the early 1980s...
(AIPA) lodged an application to the Australian industrial relations commission, Fair Work Australia
Fair Work Australia
Fair Work Australia is the Australian industrial relations institution created by the Federal ALP Government's Fair Work Act 2009.. It commenced operation on 1 July 2009.-Functions:...
, seeking to alter their eligibility rules to enable the enrolment of Jetconnect pilots in their union. On May 23 2007 the commission ruled against the union, declining to consider the question, considering it inappropriate for the AIPA to be able to enrol New Zealand based Jetconnect pilots, as they were already eligible to be members of the New Zealand Air Line Pilots' Association
New Zealand Air Line Pilots' Association
The New Zealand Air Line Pilots' Association is a trade union in New Zealand. It represents more than 2000 members. Including over 1600 pilots and flight instructors, and 340 air traffic controllers....
.
In December 2009 the AIPA took Jetconnect parent Qantas to Fair Work Australia, accusing the company of deliberately driving down wages and conditions, by undermining the spirit and intent of the Australian Fair Work Act. The pilot's union accused Qantas of paying Jetconnect pilots 40% less than Qantas
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
pilots, who six months earlier had been flying the majority of the airline's trans-Tasman services. Qantas was confident that it would win the case, stating: "These are New Zealand pilots operating New Zealand-originated services flying New Zealand-registered aircraft operated by a New Zealand entity".
In May 2010 Fair Work Australia president Justice Geoffrey Giudice agreed to convene a full bench to hear the application, and in July 2010 the Australian Council of Trade Unions
Australian Council of Trade Unions
The Australian Council of Trade Unions is the largest peak body representing workers in Australia. It is a national trade union centre of 46 affiliated unions.-History:The ACTU was formed in 1927 as the "Australian Council of Trade Unions"...
was granted leave to intervene in the case, argued that the outcome would have major ramifications for labour hire practice in Australia. The ACTU made their final submission regarding the case in March 2011, with the case still pending.
In June 2011 the ABC program Hungry Beast
Hungry Beast
Hungry Beast is an Australian television program, that is broadcast on Wednesday nights on ABC1 and repeated on Thursday night on ABC2. It is produced by Andrew Denton's production company,...
produced a parody television advertisement for Qantas, highlighting the use of Jetconnect for their trans-Tasman flights.
External links
- Qantas official website (Jetconnect has no separate website)
- Jetstar official website
- Jetconnect Recruitment Page