Jetconnect

Jetconnect Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Qantas that is based in Auckland, New Zealand. Originally established in July 2002 commencing operations in October the same year as a New Zealand-based Airline. Jetconnect operated domestic services within New Zealand until these services were taken over by Jetstar Airways, another Qantas Group airline, on 10 June 2009. Jetconnect then operated Trans-Tasman services between New Zealand and Australia under the Qantas brand employing New Zealand based Flight Attendants and Pilots. In 2018 Jetconnect transferred back to its fleet of Boeing 737 Aircraft to the Qantas name and although it ceased to operate as an Airline name in its own right, Jetconnect now employs Cabin Crew and Pilots to operate Tasman services for Qantas. Jetconnect head office is based at the Auckland Airport[1] with another Cabin Crew and Pilot base in Wellington.

For the low-cost arm of Indian carrier Jet Airways, see JetKonnect.

Jetconnect
IATA ICAO Callsign
QF QFA QANTAS
FoundedJuly 2002
Commenced operationsOctober 2002
Ceased operations2018
Operating bases
Frequent-flyer programQantas Frequent Flyer
AllianceOneworld (affiliate)
Destinations7
Parent companyQantas
HeadquartersAuckland, New Zealand

In addition to flights operated by Jetconnect, the company also employs Cabin Crew based in Auckland on behalf of Qantas Airways. Jetconnect Long-Haul cabin crew operate the wide-body fleet between New Zealand and Australia as well as on the Qantas Long-Haul network alongside Australian-based crew.

Destinations

International Short-Haul

Jetconnect Short Haul Pilots and Cabin Crew operate the majority of Qantas-marketed flights from Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown and Wellington to Australian east coast destinations.[2]

Domestic

Jetconnect operated domestic flights in New Zealand until 9 June 2009. The final domestic service was QF2728 from Wellington to Auckland. Domestic services included routes between Auckland, Wellington, Rotorua, Christchurch and Queenstown.[3] Services between Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown and Wellington have been replaced with Jetstar services. Services to Rotorua were discontinued.[4]

Fleet
Jetconnect Boeing 737-800 at Sydney Airport
Jetconnect Boeing 737-300 at Sydney Airport in original basic Qantas livery

As of November 2018 all former Jetconnect aircraft have been transferred to Qantas.[5]

Former Fleet

Jetconnect previously operated Boeing 737 series aircraft:

Industrial relations

On 17 May 2006, the union representing Australian Qantas pilots, the Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA), lodged an application to the Australian industrial relations commission Fair Work Australia, seeking to alter its eligibility rules to enable the enrolment of Jetconnect pilots in the union. On 23 May 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.[6]

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.[7] The AIPA accused Qantas of paying Jetconnect pilots 40 percent less than Qantas pilots, who six months earlier had been flying the majority of the airline's trans-Tasman services.[8] 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".[9]

In May 2010 Fair Work Australia president Justice Geoffrey Giudice agreed to convene a full bench to hear the application,[7] and in July 2010 the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) was granted leave to intervene in the case after the ACTU argued that the outcome would have major ramifications for labour hire practice in Australia.[10][11] The ACTU made its final submission regarding the case in March 2011;[12] and in a majority decision handed down in September 2011 Fair Work Australia dismissed the AIPA's application.[13]

In June 2011 the ABC program Hungry Beast produced a parody television advertisement for Qantas, highlighting the use of Jetconnect for its trans-Tasman flights.[14]

References
  1. "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 3 April 2007. p. 98.
  2. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. Qantas Fact File. Archived 27 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine Jetconnect information is on Page 5, NZ Domestic route information is on Page 34. Retrieved: 18 November 2008.
  4. Bradley, Grant (17 February 2009). "Jetstar offering $1 fares for NZ debut". New Zealand Herald.
  5. NZ CAA list of Jetconnect Boeing 737-800s retrieved 15 October 2018.
  6. Australian Industrial Relations Commission (23 May 2007). "Application by the Australian and International Pilots Association (D2006/58) - s.158(1) RAO Schedule - Application for alteration of eligibility rules". airc.gov.au. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  7. Ewin Hannan (22 May 2010). "Qantas to face court over NZ pay levels". The Australian. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  8. AAP (21 December 2009). "Qantas pays JetConnect Kiwi pilots '40 per cent less'". The Australian. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  9. Ewin Hannan (21 December 2009). "Pilots union to launch legal action to fight for Kiwi pay equality". The Australian. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  10. AAP (27 July 2010). "Qantas offshoring pilot jobs to NZ: ACTU". The Age. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  11. Ben Schneiders (27 July 2010). "Offshore job deals to be put to test". The Age. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  12. Steve Creedy (18 March 2011). "ACTU hits out over Qantas offshore jobs". The Australian. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  13. "DECISION: Australian and International Pilots Association v Qantas Airways Limited and Jetconnect Limited". Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  14. "Jetconnect". Hungry Beast. 1 June 2011. Archived from the original on 10 August 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
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