Dive in tourists drives job cuts at AJ Hackett Bungy

Wednesday, 27 May 2020

Erana James and Nicholas Galitzine do a tandem jump at an AJ Hackett base.

Adventure tourism staple AJ Hackett Bungy is looking at redundancies after losing most of its tourist trade.

About 150 jobs out of a staff of 224 could go, a spokeswoman said.

AJ Hackett (left) and Henry van Asch at the Kawarau bridge on the company's 30th anniversary in 2018.

Staff were being consulted throughout the company, which has activities in Queenstown, Taupo and Auckland.

Managing director and co-founder Henry van Asch said the company had to resize itself, at least temporarily.

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“We’ve been doing everything we can to retain all crew for as long as possible but with no obvious return of the international visitor market, we need to streamline ourselves for now, so we’re sustainable through what is going to be a very challenging period.''

Management were looking at various options including staff repatriation, leave without pay, retraining and redeployment, he said.

Queenstown Lakes District mayor Jim Boult and AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand co-founder Henry van Asch were the first jumpers as the country moved into Alert Level 2. (Video first published May 14, 2020)

“There’s an enormous amount of work currently going into the development of workforce alliances and initiatives that could see crew redeployed to conservation and other projects.

“We’re keen to keep our people close, if it suits them, so they can come back to work at Bungy again as soon as the market begins to bounce back.”

AJ Hackett shareholders had established a hardship and repatriation fund to support those in most in need.

The bungy company has sought to secure government funding under the Strategic Assets Protection Programme to retain specialist staff, such as their jump masters who require two to four years’ training.

The most famous AJ Hackett jump is at the Kawarau bridge in Queenstown although it has now several others, including off the Auckland harbour bridge and SkyTower.