Air NZ and Qantas bosses cleaning planes, working as baggage handlers

Air New Zealand bosses and office staff have been helping out with cleaning planes and checking in passengers.

Qantas, also hit by severe staff shortages, has asked corporate executives to work as baggage handlers after getting itself in a pickle during the pandemic.

The airline wants bosses to join a new contingency programme working as handlers up to five days a week for three months.

The Australian newspaper said Qantas bosses had previously worked at airports in peak times, but the new programme showed how severe worker shortages now were.

The newspaper said the airline's head of operations wanted at least 100 volunteers to work at Sydney and Melbourne airports.

Jobs would reportedly include loading and unloading bags as well as driving vehicles to move luggage around airports.

Late last month, Qantas domestic and international chief executive Andrew David admitted the airline was struggling in some areas.

"Much has been said about Qantas in the last few months. Some of it's fair, as we're absolutely not delivering the service that our customers expect, but some of it fails to take into consideration what's happening across the industry here and around the world."

He added: "Some have pointed to Qantas's decision to outsource ground handling as a key reason the restart has been hard. This is not true."

David said Qantas finished its ground handling changes before Easter 2021 when domestic travel was back to almost 100 per cent.

Qantas asked senior executives and managers to join a new program working as handlers and drivers. Photo / 123RF

He added: "The pandemic was very tough on aviation. Economically, most airlines were on their knees. Early in the pandemic we were 11 weeks from bankruptcy and have since posted $6 billion in losses and over $24 billion in lost revenue."

The labour market this year has been tight in Australia and New Zealand, with low unemployment in many sectors.

A Qantas spokesman told The Australian: "We've been clear that our operational performance has not been meeting our customers' expectations or the standards that we expect of ourselves."

Air New Zealand group general manager airports, Chloe Surridge, said to help alleviate some of the pressure on its frontline teams it had put a call out for volunteers to help in busy airports as sickness has hit during winter.

"This opportunity, which we have also offered in the busy summer holidays, allows people from across the business to help out their colleagues and experience another part of the airline."

Typically volunteers will work a few hours in the early morning or evening peak travel times to help customers with check-in kiosks, bag drop and directing people around the airport.

Volunteers come from all over the business including senior leaders and office-based teams. Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch are the busiest ports over this winter period and the airline reports ''great interest'' to help out.

"We always get overwhelming support from our people for these opportunities and in the past, we've had to turn people away. The Air New Zealand team always want to muck in and help ensure our customers get to where they need to be," Surridge said.