Last year’s Taipan crash was one of a string of accidents involving the aircraft type, which was separately grounded in 2019, 2021, and earlier in 2023.
In a statement announcing Air New Zealand’s half-year results, CEO Greg Foran confirmed that the new 787-9s, which will add to the carrier’s current fleet of 14 Dreamliners and feature the Skynests, are not likely to arrive until next year.
Qantas said the added transparency would vindicate its consistent denial of “slot hoarding” accusations, while Virgin and Bonza have labelled the changes “a step in the right direction”.
The airline blamed “manufacturing delays” at Airbus, which means the first of its specially adapted A350-1000s will not arrive by its original delivery date of the end of next year.
The union’s strong words come after the Flying Kangaroo lost a series of court cases that ruled the airline was wrong to remove more than 1,700 ground workers back in 2021.
Ed Clark, a Boeing veteran of almost 20 years, will be replaced effective immediately by vice president of 737 delivery operations Katie Ringgold as vice president and general manager of the 737 program, and also as head of Boeing’s Renton factory in W…
The funding includes support for recipients to complete additional training that focusses on the type of specialist pilot skills the aviation and tech company requires from new recruits.
The Flying Kangaroo also confirmed it would use its strong position to purchase an additional eight A321XLRs to take its future fleet of the next generation aircraft to 28.