Union calls off Air New Zealand cabin crew strike

By Andrew Curran.

A planned strike by Air New Zealand cabin crew later this week has been called off after the airline and the E tū union reached an in-principle agreement over a long-running pay dispute.

Around 400 short-haul cabin crew, who work on domestic, trans-Tasman, and short-haul Pacific flights, had planned to go on strike on December 18, 2025.

Last month, E tū Director Michael Wood said Air New Zealand cabin crew members did not get paid enough for the hours they worked. He also claimed there were some unsatisfactory work conditions. E tū is New Zealand’s largest aviation union.

Wood said his cabin crew members were asking for a fair deal that reflected their skills, responsibilities, and the real cost of living. Air New Zealand cabin crew are currently paid between NZD58,000 (USD32,500) and NZD85,000 (USD47,700) per year, plus allowances 

“Air New Zealand needs to come to the table with a proper mandate to settle,” he said at the time.

This week, E tū assistant national secretary Rachel Mackintosh said an in-principle agreement had been reached with the airline and this week's strike was off.

Aero South Pacific confirmed the outcome with Air New Zealand.

Mackintosh said that while some fine tuning of the agreement needed to take place, the promised deal was good enough and close enough to finalisation for the union to pause industrial action. However, neither side has disclosed the terms of the new agreement and any concessions.

E tū merely called it an "improved offer that is good enough to take to members for a vote."

E tū says Air New Zealand talks were a long process

The majority of Air New Zealand’s approximately 1,200 cabin crew are members of E tū. For most of 2024, the union has been negotiating three different collective agreements covering international, domestic, and regional crew. 

The union said the strike withdrawal meant there were now no active strike notices in place, with formal offers to be voted on across all three collective agreements covering Air New Zealand cabin crew.

"This has been a long process, and it has shown the power workers have when they use industrial action as a tool to improve offers," McIntosh said. "Taking strike action is never something our members do lightly, but it has clearly played a role in shifting the company's position and getting us to a point where members can properly consider the offers in front of them."

E tū's national secretary noted that the bargaining process wasn't complete. "Whether or not these agreements are finalised will depend on how members vote," McIntosh added. "If the offers are rejected, the possibility of further strike notices remains, but there will be no industrial action this year."

Air New Zealand welcomes strike talk outcome

Air New Zealand welcomed the breakthrough in negotiations and the news that the strike would not go ahead.

“We're pleased to share that our discussions with E tū have progressed to a point that the union has withdrawn their strike notice for December 18, avoiding disruptions to customer over the Christmas period,” an Air New Zealand spokesperson told Aero South Pacific.

“Our negotiating teams have been working hard to reach an outcome that recognises the vital role our cabin crew play while supporting the long-term health of the airline.”

Had the strike gone ahead, Air New Zealand CEO Nikhil Ravishankar had previously said that plans were well-advanced to minimise disruptions on the day. However, he also admitted that up 15,000 passengers could have been impacted.

Aero South Pacific’s recent Air New Zealand Market Report revealed that the airline operates almost 3,300 flights per week, translating into over 470 daily flights. More than 82% of those flights are domestic. The remaining 18% span the airline’s short-haul and long-haul international network.

“We're grateful for the patience and understanding customers have shown as we've worked through the bargaining process,” the Air New Zealand spokesperson added. “We appreciate the constructive engagement from the unions and our team.”

Photo: Air New Zealand.

Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com