Companies show plenty of interest in flag carrier's engineers

Air New Zealand engineer Glenn McFarlane says the 110 staff losing their jobs are "pretty gutted" but other firms have approached the airline already to hire them.

The workers in the aero-engine area of the airline's heavy aircraft maintenance business were delivered the news yesterday.

Their jobs will go early in the new year and in February a further 500 engineering division staff will learn their fate.

The aero-engine engineer and union delegate, who has been with the airline 15 years, said nobody was surprised by the move, which had been well flagged.

"But when it finally comes ... you are never quite ready to accept it."

Mr McFarlane said those who would not be taking voluntary redundancy were probably keen to try to stay on with the airline, and he was one of them. Others would look at redundancy as an opportunity.

He said the airline already had a "screed of companies" knocking on its door looking for workers from those being made redundant.

"That's a pretty positive slant but what numbers are out there I'm not sure."

Parties approaching Air NZ include overseas airlines particularly from the Middle East, domestic firms, and the Royal New Zealand Air Force.