This year’s NZALPA Annual Conference was again well attended and brought together our diverse membership from around the country.

This year’s NZALPA Annual Conference was again well attended and brought together our diverse membership from around the country. This included two enjoyable networking and social evenings in which we welcomed Air New Zealand Chief Executive, Christopher Luxon, and other senior aviation management including Director of CAA, Graeme Harris. The New Zealand government was represented by MP Marja Lubeck.

Following a welcome message read on behalf of the Associate Minister of Transport Hon Julie Ann Genter, there was robust and constructive debate on the remits submitted, leading to a number of outcomes:

• A comprehensive working group will be formed to investigate potential new categories of membership within NZALPA and improved services to current membership categories. This could include flight simulator instructors, ‘contractors’, retired members, associate members and RPAS/drone operators.
• Clarification of the Rules to allow newly formed Councils to have representation on the Board of Management.
• Confirmation that the current Conference, Board of Management and Council governance and representative structure is working successfully in the best interests of the Union.
• New proposals were introduced by the Structural Review Working Party after considerable debate. The substantive proposals were eventually rejected but the discussion was incredibly worthwhile to analyse what works within the organisation and what may need improvement in regards to our structure.

There was also excellent presentations from our Australian Union colleagues – The Australian Federation of Air Line Pilots (AFAP), The Australian International Pilots’ Association (AIPA) and Air Traffic Controller representatives, Civil Air. Our counterparts from across the Tasman updated delegates on a number of issues currently faced by their members. These are summarised in this issue.

The pilot supply topic is again on the agenda and we were approached recently by TVNZ’s One News who were undertaking a special investigation. At the same time there was ongoing work with the Air New Zealand career pathways working group, with the most successful two weeks of work to date.

Finally, NZALPA has launched a pilot supply survey to the industry seeking data and information to better understand how many pilots are entering the sector going into flight training, and then seeking employment. NZALPA and John Murrie of Massey University, School of Aviation are working together to gather data to better understand the influences, training and employment success rate of New Zealand fixed wing pilot trainees who aim to become professional pilots

NZALPA will use the data for its efforts to improve pilot career opportunities in New Zealand. John Murrie will use the data as part of his PhD study of the airline pilot career pathway and pilot supply.

Please talk the time to give your feedback. More details about this survey can be found on page 11.

Have a safe month.

Tim Robinson