Dirt flies in fight for Fiji run

By STUART DYE

Cracks in the aviation industry are starting to appear as competition for the lucrative Fijian market heats up.

As low-cost airline Pacific Blue celebrated its maiden transtasman flight yesterday, Air New Zealand was in court taking action against aircraft operator Airwork.

Airwork's manager of flight operations, Barry Gordon, had photocopied confidential flight operations documents without consent from Air NZ. The national flag-carrier obtained a High Court injunction for the return of the documents.

But Airwork chief executive Hugh Jones said the real issue was his company's role in providing aircraft for Flight Centre's new service to Fiji from mid-March. It will compete with Air NZ.

"It is clear that the relationship between Airwork and Air NZ has changed dramatically, given the intention of Airwork to fly charter operations, and so activities that might have been permitted in the past are no longer allowed."

Ardmore-based Airwork offers maintenance services and charters for fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.

Flight Centre chief executive Graeme Moore said Air NZ's action was a nuisance and might delay the start of the flights for a week, but Airwork was on track with compliance for the charter aircraft.

Prices for a seven-night holiday, with return airfares, have been quoted at $499 for four-person share.

Air NZ insists that the issue is one of privacy. Mr Gordon had taken copyrighted documents that had taken decades to perfect.

"They include important commercially valuable material updated on a regular basis specific to Air NZ's own operations and procedures," said the company in a statement.

A company's approval to operate as an airline is granted by the Civil Aviation Authority on the basis of its manuals.

Mr Jones said: "The inference that Air NZ's documents would be to Airwork's advantage is false and misleading, as Airwork has its own documents and manuals which are sufficient for requirements."

"It's an amazing storm in a teacup ... but we'll just march on.

"We'll be fighting them to honour the contract and in the meantime, there are alternatives for us and if this action becomes a big issue we'll just march off and use those alternatives," Mr Jones said.

The arguments are likely to rumble on. Airwork has a contract with Air New Zealand to use its Boeing 737 flight simulator equipment and documents in the training of air crew.

Air NZ has said the arrangement will be ended, but Airwork says it "will use every means possible to ensure that the existing contract is honoured".