Jetconnect is a New Zealand airline owned by Qantas. Established in July 2002 as an airline, it ceased operating as an airline in 2018 but continues to employ pilots and cabin crew based at Auckland Airport and Wellington airports that operate Qantas flights on Trans-Tasman services between New Zealand and Australia, with cabin crew also operating on Qantas long-haul flights alongside Australian-based crew.
From mid 2001 to early 2004, JetConnect operated a codeshare agreement with Origin Pacific Airways. When this ceased, Origin lost 60% of its business.
In November 2018, Jetconnect transferred its fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft back to Qantas and ceased to operate as an airline, though the company continues to employ pilots and cabin crew to operate trans-tasman and international services for Qantas.
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Jetconnect previously operated the following Boeing 737 series aircraft:
Boeing 737-300 | 13 | 2002 | 2009 | |
Boeing 737-400 | 4 | 2006 | 2011 | |
Boeing 737-800 | 8 | 2009 | 2018 |
In December 2009, the AIPA took Jetconnect parent Qantas to Fair Work Australia, accusing the company of deliberately driving down wages and conditions, by undermining the spirit and intent of the Australian Fair Work Act. The AIPA accused Qantas of paying Jetconnect pilots 40 percent less than Qantas pilots, who six months earlier had been flying the majority of the airline's trans-Tasman services. Qantas was confident that it would win the case, stating: "These are New Zealand pilots operating New Zealand-originated services flying New Zealand-registered aircraft operated by a New Zealand entity".
In May 2010, Fair Work Australia president Justice Geoffrey Giudice agreed to convene a full bench to hear the application, and in July 2010, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) was granted leave to intervene in the case after the ACTU argued that the outcome would have major ramifications for labour hire practice in Australia. The ACTU made its final submission regarding the case in March 2011, and in a majority decision handed down in September 2011 Fair Work Australia dismissed the AIPA's application.
In June 2011, the ABC program Hungry Beast produced a parody television advertisement for Qantas, highlighting the use of Jetconnect for its trans-Tasman flights.
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