Air New Zealand has increased its entry wage to USD 30 per hour as it looks to attract around 400 outstanding people to join its Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch airport teams.

Air New Zealand Chief People Officer Nikki Dines says the airline is continuing to ramp up operations to meet growing demand, and a critical part of this is rebuilding its airports team.
“I’m pleased that we’re continuing to welcome more people to our whānau and that we’re in a position to invest further in our people.”

“It’s not just new employees that will benefit from this change. We’re giving our current staff the choice to either keep their current pay structure, with an increased hourly rate and weekend penalty rates or switch over to a new rolled up rate, starting from $30 per hour.

“For those looking to join, this is an amazing opportunity to be part of something special. The Air New Zealand whānau is your family away from home. At Air New Zealand, we work hard to ensure our people are offered the same care as we offer our customers.”

As well as increasing entry level rates, annual pay increases are provided to all airport employees, along with opportunities to gain more skills and access further pay increases.
Over the next 13-month period from 1 March 2023 to 31 March 2024, airport workers across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch will receive a pay rise of between 9.5% and 26%.

“We’re looking to attract diverse, talented people who will not only help our business grow, but also have a deep desire to help us do what we do best – keep friends and family connected.
“And we want to help them kick-start their careers and life experience through opportunities to grow their skills and access fantastic travel benefits.”