Air New Zealand has warned of planned international cabin crew strike action in February 2026, but says flights will continue to operate as scheduled and disruption will be minimised.
The carrier has confirmed the intention of an Air New Zealand cabin crew strike on 11, 12 and 13 February 2026, following notice from unions E tū and the Flight Attendants’ Association of New Zealand (FAANZ).
The proposed Air New Zealand cabin crew strike action affects international flight attendants on the airline’s Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 widebody fleet, which services long-haul routes, including trans-Tasman and international services.
The airline has advised the travel trade that flights are expected to continue as scheduled with contingency plans in place to minimise disruption for customers.
The notice follows months of negotiations over pay and conditions for international cabin crew and also comes after a network-wide strike in November 2025.
FAANZ President Craig Featherby told RNZ the union believes Air New Zealand has not sufficiently prioritised staff or passenger experience.
“Flights are repeatedly impacted by preventable issues: lack of catering and limited choice, missing equipment to effectively look after customers, inoperative seats and broken cabin features, alongside higher-than-usual cancellations,” he said.
“Flight attendants, as the face of the airline, are constantly having to work around these issues and apologise to passengers who have paid premium fares to fly with the national carrier.”
In a message to travel partners, Air New Zealand said it remains focused on reaching a resolution to avoid industrial action and reiterated that the planned Air New Zealand cabin crew strike will not affect the published flight schedule at this stage.
The carrier confirmed there are currently no changes to scheduled flights on 11–13 February 2026. Customers will be contacted directly if their flights are impacted by the Air New Zealand cabin crew strike.
What advisors should tell clients
Air New Zealand says affected customers will be offered rebooking on alternative flights, and where required, meals and accommodation in line with its disruption policies.
Advisors and travellers are encouraged to monitor updates via the Air New Zealand Travel Alerts page and ensure contact details are up to date in bookings and Airpoints accounts.
Advisors can contact the Agency Sales Support team for further guidance. For the latest Air New Zealand cabin crew strike updates, visit airnewzealand.com.au/travel-alerts
KARRYON UNPACKS: While strike action is planned, Air New Zealand’s reassurance that flights will operate gives advisors confidence to reassure clients, monitor updates closely and reinforce flexible rebooking options if plans change.
