Air New Zealand pilots doing the mahi over Christmas

Friday, 23 December 2022

Hannah Burnett-Grant and Nicole Harris will be taking to the air on Christmas Day.

While the rest of us are enjoying time off, pilots Nicole Harris and Hannah Burnett-Grant are making sure Kiwis see their loved ones over the Christmas holidays.

The pair are flying regional routes as first officers, and have been working for Aotearoa’s national carrier for the past four years.

Although Harris joined the ranks of Air New Zealand four and a half years ago, she has been flying for over a decade after being drawn to the skies by her uncle, who is also a pilot.

In a similar vein, Burnett-Grant was attracted to flying after her mother gained her private pilot licence and bought her a trial flight as a birthday present.

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Even though the two women are working in a traditionally male-dominated industry, Harris and Burnett-Grant said they have never had any challenges while working at Air New Zealand.

“Air New Zealand is very inclusive, but you do have to be able to get along with the boys,” Harris said.

The two pilots said Christmas Day at Air New Zealand has a whole different vibe.

When it comes to working through Christmas, Burnett-Grant said it was “all about connecting people”.

“Even flying at this time of year, in the lead-up to Christmas, when you walk through the terminal you see people travelling to see their families or people coming home,” she said.

“If we weren’t at work they wouldn’t be able to do that,” Harris added.

Christmas Day at Air New Zealand isn’t like any other day, with staff getting into the festive spirit.

Harris is a first officer, but is currently training to be a captain.

“Some people wear Santa hats, and the flight attendants will definitely dress up,” Harris said.

“One year someone bought tinsel and baubles and were hanging them up.”

Burnett-Grant agreed the “vibe is different”.

“It’s not like every day, flying from A to B,” Burnett-Grant said.

“A lot of the airports will have treats, like chocolates. I remember getting mince pies from Nelson one year,” Harris said.

“Everyone is just in a good mood, people even say Merry Christmas to each other on the radio.”

In a bid to not ruin the Christmas cheer, Harris had a message for passengers travelling during the silly, but also very busy, season.

“The next few days are going to be madness, and everything takes a little bit longer than normal just because there is so much going on,” she said.

Harris urged holiday travellers to give themselves extra time at the airport and be patient with staff.

“We do want to get you where you want to go, and do it on time,” she said.

“We are doing the absolute best we can, but you are on holiday – relax, and we’ll get you there.”

Burnett-Grant echoed Harris’ advice.

“Be prepared, allow plenty of time to avoid any stress at the terminal,” she said.

“Even just coming to work it is quite overwhelming, there’s queues and people everywhere trying to check in.”

Burnett-Grant said to remember to “be kind”. No-one likes a Christmas Grinch.

CORRECTION: It was originally reported that the pilots interviewed were working on Christmas Day. That reporting was based on information from Air New Zealand. The pilots did not work on Christmas Day, but worked over the Christmas period. Air New Zealand has apologised for the error. This story has been updated.