Engine issues continue to affect Dunedin flights
Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran told the ODT yesterday it was "still about two plus years away" from "getting on top" of the engine issues.
He shared the news after speaking with the chief executive of international aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney earlier in the day.
"It's unfortunate because we've already had about two years of it, but it's a tough problem to solve and there are many factors that are involved in it."
In July 2023, Pratt & Whitney disclosed a condition affecting the maintenance plan for the geared turbofan jet engine fleet.
Mr Foran previously said that, while the maintenance issue did not pose a safety issue, this had caused the airline to revise its flight schedule.
Since late February, it has been using a 68-seat ATR-72 turboprop plane instead of the roomier 171-seat Airbus A320 on its morning and evening flights between Dunedin and Wellington — meaning the first flight of the day arrives in Wellington 50 minutes later than it did before.
Mr Foran yesterday said the engines on about half of its Airbus fleet were bought during a period where a batch of "contaminated metal" was used.
About 1200 engines were queued up waiting to be checked, which had created a backlog.
"We're a bit unlucky. We just happened to purchase engines during this period.
"It'll work its way through. They're safe but they need to be checked and hopefully by about 2028 we think we should be through."
When asked if there could be further changes to domestic flight schedules and capacity, Mr Foran said there "probably will, but hopefully not as much as it has been as we work through these issues".
He empathised with Air New Zealand's customers and the impact on them.
"We're over half way. I wish it was going to be fixed by Christmas. It won't, but it will get fixed.
"And as soon as those planes are available to come back, then they will."
An interim report from Dunedin Airport earlier this year said domestic seat capacity remained limited due to Air New Zealand's ongoing fleet challenges, and it did not anticipate any "meaningful improvements" in the airline's capacity until late 2026.
Chief executive Daniel De Bono said the engine issues affecting Air New Zealand's fleet, and many other airlines globally, were easing but remained outside of both the airport and Air Zealand's direct control.
"We remain focused on working with Air New Zealand and our other airline partners to grow air capacity from Dunedin.
"The aviation sector regularly faces challenges like this and the key is to work collaboratively through them."
The engine-related domestic capacity constraints had reduced available seat capacity and limited the airport's ability to grow in the short term.
It was a "dynamic situation" not isolated to Dunedin or New Zealand.
As a global supply chain challenge, the airport had taken a conservative approach in its forward planning to account for the uncertainty, Mr De Bono said.
"We also expect further changes to the domestic network as Air New Zealand navigates the [engine] issues and softer domestic demand.
"Shocks like this happen in aviation, but the medium to long-term growth path generally remains steady."
Business South chief executive Mike Collins said its main concern was maintaining reliable air connectivity in the region.
"Flights are critical for business, tourism and freight — the reality is that ongoing constraints risk impacting local growth.
"We encourage Air New Zealand to keep regional centres front of mind in any schedule changes."
While the engine issues were complex and global, uncertainty around flight availability hurt businesses' confidence, Mr Collins said.
Every cancelled flight or reduced service chipped away at business confidence and reliable services were key to unlocking economic opportunities for Dunedin and the South.
"Businesses rely on certainty to make decisions — and right now, there's a real lack of it when it comes to regional air connectivity.
"That creates challenges not just for planning travel, but for investment, growth and confidence in the region."
tim.scott@odt.co.nz
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