Jetconnect

Jetconnect is a New Zealand airline subsidiary owned by Qantas. It was established in July 2002 and began operating in October of that year as a New Zealand-based carrier. Its original role included domestic passenger services within New Zealand, but its business was subsequently redirected toward Qantas's trans-Tasman network linking New Zealand and Australia. Jetconnect's domestic operation ended on 10 June 2009, when Qantas subsidiary Jetstar assumed the relevant New Zealand domestic services. Before and during its early operating period, Jetconnect also had a codeshare relationship with Origin Pacific Airways, a New Zealand regional airline. The arrangement ran from approximately mid-2001 to early 2004; when it ended, Origin Pacific reportedly lost a substantial portion of its business. After the withdrawal from domestic flying, Jetconnect operated Qantas-branded services across the Tasman Sea using New Zealand-based crews. Its short-haul network connected major New Zealand gateways, including Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Queenstown, with Australian east-coast destinations such as Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Some Queenstown services to Brisbane and Melbourne were seasonal. The flights were marketed under the Qantas brand rather than as a separate Jetconnect passenger brand, making Jetconnect principally an operating and employment platform within the Qantas group. Jetconnect was also the subject of a significant industrial-relations dispute. The Australian and International Pilots Association challenged the treatment and representation of Jetconnect pilots, arguing that the use of a New Zealand-based subsidiary affected pay and employment conditions for flying on trans-Tasman routes. Qantas maintained that the pilots were New Zealand-based employees operating New Zealand-originated services for a New Zealand entity. Australian industrial-relations proceedings continued through 2011, with Fair Work Australia ultimately dismissing the pilots' application in a majority decision. In November 2018, Jetconnect transferred its seven Boeing 737-800 aircraft to Qantas and ceased operating as an airline in the conventional sense. The company itself did not disappear. It continued to employ pilots and cabin crew based at Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch airports. Those employees operate Qantas trans-Tasman services between New Zealand and Australia, while cabin crew may also work on Qantas long-haul international flights alongside Australia-based crew. Jetconnect is therefore best understood today as a Qantas group operating and crewing entity rather than an independent scheduled airline with its own fleet and network.

Jetconnect was created by Qantas in July 2002 as a New Zealand-based airline subsidiary and commenced operations in October 2002. Its establishment gave Qantas a locally based operating structure for services originating in New Zealand. In its early years, Jetconnect operated domestic routes within New Zealand, linking cities including Auckland, Wellington, Rotorua, Christchurch and Queenstown. The company was also associated with a codeshare arrangement with Origin Pacific Airways. Although the relationship began around the period before Jetconnect's own operations commenced, it continued from approximately mid-2001 until early 2004. The end of the arrangement had a major commercial effect on Origin Pacific, which was reported to have lost about 60 percent of its business after the codeshare ceased. Jetconnect's domestic airline role was short-lived. On 10 June 2009, Qantas transferred the relevant domestic New Zealand services to Jetstar, another Qantas subsidiary. The final Jetconnect domestic service was identified as QF2728 from Wellington to Auckland. Routes between Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown and Wellington were subsequently associated with Jetstar, while service to Rotorua was discontinued. Following the withdrawal from domestic flying, Jetconnect concentrated on Qantas-branded trans-Tasman services. New Zealand-based Jetconnect pilots and cabin crew operated flights from Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Queenstown to Australian east-coast destinations. These included Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, with some Queenstown-Brisbane and Queenstown-Melbourne flights operating seasonally. The customer-facing service was presented as Qantas, while Jetconnect supplied the New Zealand-based employment and operating structure. This arrangement generated an extended industrial-relations dispute. In 2006, the Australian and International Pilots Association sought to alter its eligibility rules to admit Jetconnect pilots. Fair Work Australia declined to deal with that question in 2007, noting that the New Zealand-based pilots were eligible for membership in the New Zealand Air Line Pilots' Association. In December 2009, AIPA initiated a further case against Qantas, alleging that Jetconnect's structure undermined the intent of Australian workplace legislation and enabled materially lower pay and conditions than those applying to Qantas pilots. The union cited a pay difference of approximately 40 percent. Qantas disputed the allegations and emphasized the New Zealand origin of the services, the New Zealand employment relationship and the New Zealand registration of the aircraft involved. The case acquired broader labour-policy significance. In May 2010, Fair Work Australia president Justice Geoffrey Giudice agreed to convene a full bench. The Australian Council of Trade Unions was allowed to intervene in July 2010, arguing that the outcome could affect the use of labour-hire and subsidiary structures in Australia. After the ACTU made its final submission in March 2011, Fair Work Australia dismissed AIPA's application in a majority decision in September 2011. Jetconnect's status changed again in November 2018. Its entire fleet of seven Boeing 737-800 aircraft was transferred to Qantas, and Jetconnect ceased operating as an airline with its own fleet. It remained an active Qantas subsidiary, however, retaining pilots and cabin crew based at Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Those employees continue to support Qantas trans-Tasman services, and cabin crew may also operate Qantas long-haul flights alongside crew based in Australia. The company's historical identity is consequently that of a New Zealand airline that evolved into a group crewing and operating entity supporting Qantas's international network.

• 2018

  Fleet is transferred to Qantas

  [1]Jetconnecten.wikipedia.org

  Jetconnect transferred its seven Boeing 737-800 aircraft to Qantas and stopped operating as a separate airline while retaining its crewing function.

• 2011

  Fair Work Australia dismisses the AIPA case

  [1]Jetconnecten.wikipedia.org

  After intervention by the ACTU and consideration by a full bench, the industrial-relations application involving Jetconnect pilots was dismissed in September.

• 2009

  Domestic New Zealand flying moves to Jetstar

  [1]Jetconnecten.wikipedia.org

  Jetconnect ended its domestic New Zealand services on 10 June, with Jetstar taking over relevant routes.

• 2007

  AIPA eligibility application is declined

  [1]Jetconnecten.wikipedia.org

  Fair Work Australia declined to consider an application concerning Australian union eligibility for Jetconnect pilots.

• 2004

  Origin Pacific codeshare ends

  [1]Jetconnecten.wikipedia.org

  The codeshare relationship between Jetconnect and Origin Pacific ended around early 2004, after operating from approximately mid-2001.

• 2002

  Jetconnect is established and begins airline operations

  [1]Jetconnecten.wikipedia.org

  Qantas established Jetconnect in July 2002, and the New Zealand-based subsidiary began operating in October.

A Qantas-owned New Zealand operating and crewing platform supporting Qantas-branded trans-Tasman and international services rather than a standalone consumer-facing airline.

• Domestic airline services · 2002

  Domestic New Zealand passenger services

  Jetconnect formerly operated scheduled domestic flights within New Zealand, including services linking Auckland, Wellington, Rotorua, Christchurch and Queenstown. This activity ended in June 2009 when the relevant flying was transferred to Jetstar. Services to Rotorua were discontinued, while several other city pairs continued under the Jetstar brand.

• International short-haul airline operations · 2009

  Qantas trans-Tasman services

  Jetconnect operated Qantas-branded services between New Zealand and Australia's east coast using New Zealand-based pilots and cabin crew. The operating network included flights from Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Queenstown to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Queenstown-Brisbane and Queenstown-Melbourne services were identified as seasonal.

• Airline crew and operating services · 2018

  Crew services for Qantas international flights

  Following the transfer of its aircraft to Qantas, Jetconnect continued as a New Zealand-based employer of pilots and cabin crew. Its personnel support Qantas trans-Tasman flights, and cabin crew may also work on Qantas long-haul international services alongside crew based in Australia.

• 2011Hungry Beast parody Qantas advertisement

  Australia · New Zealand

  The ABC television program Hungry Beast created a parody advertisement for Qantas that drew attention to the use of Jetconnect on trans-Tasman flights and the associated employment debate.

  Outcome. The item functioned as commentary and satire rather than a Jetconnect marketing campaign; no commercial campaign outcome is documented.

  Source

• 2018

  Conversion from airline operator to Qantas crewing entityStrategy

  Background

  Qantas restructured the role of Jetconnect after years of using it for New Zealand-originated trans-Tasman services.

  Action taken

  In November 2018, all seven Jetconnect Boeing 737-800 aircraft were transferred to Qantas and Jetconnect ceased operating as a separate airline.

  Aftermath

  Jetconnect remained active as an employer of New Zealand-based pilots and cabin crew supporting Qantas trans-Tasman and selected long-haul services.

  Source

• 2009

  Transfer of domestic services to JetstarStrategy

  Background

  Jetconnect had operated domestic routes in New Zealand since 2002, but Qantas reorganized its New Zealand domestic presence under the Jetstar subsidiary.

  Action taken

  Jetconnect ended domestic flying on 10 June 2009, transferring relevant services to Jetstar and discontinuing the Rotorua service.

  Aftermath

  Jetconnect focused on Qantas-branded trans-Tasman operations using New Zealand-based crews.

  Source

1. 1Jetconnecten.wikipedia.org