Air New Zealand cabin crew will go on strike for 24 hours on Monday, December 8, 2025, after months of unsuccessful negotiations over pay and working conditions.
Approximately 1,250 E tū-represented cabin crew members across Air New Zealand’s international, domestic, and regional fleets will halt work.
Since April, unions have been in discussions with Air NZ. However, cabin crew remain dissatisfied with the airline’s most recent proposal, feeling it fails to adequately represent the duties, pressures, and fatigue risks inherent in their roles.
An unnamed crew member said the airline is demanding more from its cabin crew without adequately addressing fundamental issues related to safety and fatigue.
“They’re asking us to be more productive when our rosters are already stretched, and that increases the risk of fatigue. Fatigue in aviation is dangerous, affecting the safety of both crew and passengers,” the crew member said.
“We’re also being asked to trade away hard-won conditions just to get an inflation-level pay rise, and that isn’t a fair deal.”
“Right now, morale is low. Crew feel disconnected from management, undervalued, and ignored. The company talks about people being its biggest asset, but the offer on the table doesn’t show that.”
Air NZ confirmed it has received formal strike notices from the unions E tū and FAANZ, representing approximately 80% of its cabin crew.
Air New Zealand chief executive officer Nikhil Ravishankar said that strike action on the regional fleets is scheduled to occur at different times between 5am and 11pm on 8 December.
For the domestic and international fleets, strike action is set to occur at various times between 12:01am and 11:59pm on the said date.
Ravishankar said Air NZ is committed to taking all possible measures to reduce any inconvenience for customers during the strike.
“If the strike goes ahead, the airline is committed to supporting any impacted customers.”
“This will include rebooking and may include providing meals and refreshments and accommodation if required. We will do everything we can to get customers to their destination as soon as possible while keeping them informed throughout their journey.”
Travellers affected by the strike will be contacted directly as soon as additional information is available.