Auckland Airport’s Firefighters Could Ground Flights Twice in One Week

Travellers due to fly through Auckland later this month should keep an eye on two dates. All 69 members of Auckland Airport’s Airport Emergency Services team, represented by the union E tū, plan to hold 24-hour strikes starting at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, November 24, and again at 6 a.m. on Friday, November 27. Members voted overwhelmingly to walk out after rejecting the airport’s latest offer. The team provides aviation firefighting and rescue cover around the clock, along with marine response on the Manukau Harbour and on-site medical care.

That cover is not optional. Under New Zealand’s civil aviation rules, an airport must have rescue and firefighting services in place for regular passenger flights on aircraft with more than 30 seats and for scheduled international services. Auckland Airport’s chief operating officer, Chloe Surridge, has warned that domestic and international flights may need to be cancelled or diverted on strike days, which could affect tens of thousands of passengers at the country’s main gateway. The airport says it is working on contingency plans and is telling passengers to check with their airlines.

The dispute centres on pay and training. The union wants wages set 5.5% above the market median and argues that the job-evaluation system the airport uses undervalues the role. Members also object to how training is handled: with the airport’s live-fire training ground closed, firefighters travel to Singapore for five days a year to meet regulatory requirements, rising to two five-day trips from next year, and they say the time away is not fairly paid. E tū points to the airport’s recent profits and dividends; the airport has not agreed to the union’s terms.

There is some precedent for keeping planes moving. During a two-hour fire-service strike in 2006, outside contractors and former staff covered most operations, though four international arrivals were held. The union says the strikes could be called off quickly if a better offer arrives, and no settlement had been reported as of November 11. Anyone flying into or out of Auckland on November 24 or 27 should make sure their airline has current contact details, avoid tight same-day connections, and check flight status before leaving for the airport.

Sources: E tū, AeroCorner