An Air New Zealand staff member, Jordyn Antonio-Rooney, was dismissed after using her airport security card to bypass a long Customs queue, resulting in multiple security breaches at Auckland International Airport.
Antonio-Rooney, who was traveling with her aunt, bypassed the regular departure process by accessing restricted areas and escorting her aunt into unauthorised zones.
The incident occurred in June 2023 when the two were heading to Australia for a family celebration.
Despite Antonio-Rooney’s claim that it was a mistake made in haste to check on a crew member’s passport, the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) found her actions to be repeated breaches of security protocols, committed with full knowledge of the rules.
The ERA upheld her dismissal, ruling that Air New Zealand had acted reasonably given the seriousness of the breaches.
The former flight attendant turned crew support staff was accused of using her privileged security access to circumvent proper procedures, leading to serious misconduct.
Despite Antonio-Rooney’s defense that it was an isolated mistake, Air New Zealand and ERA both determined that the breaches had impaired the trust necessary for her role in such a highly regulated environment. The New Zealand Customs Service and Auckland Airport company have also launched their own investigations into the incident.
A ‘Highly-Regulated Environment’…via the gradual introduction of a Global Police State beginning with ‘Airport Security’ and extending to the human dog kennel :15 Minute Cities!
No wonder Pilots are quitting by the droves and heading overseas where this TSA-like bullshit is virtually non-existent.
I avoid the major airports, and added larger bush tyres to my Cessna 206 and a 4-bladed scimitar Q-Prop to accommodate off-airport landings.
Imagine having to go thru ‘security’ in the middle of a cow-pattied paddock…
And BTW- get the Go-Pro out of your aircraft, as the CAA peruses footage and then levies charges and fines for ‘improper / reckless operation’.
What bullshit!
Over regulation, government overreach, bloated beurocrats (literally) on high tax payer funded salaries, not to mention DEI in the public service (incompetent people in positions of responsibility)…
(Please expand if I’ve missed anything)
They are NEVER held accountable for their accidental or planned fuck-ups!
In fact, they get rewarded.
And IF redundancies occur, they get the larger pay-outs, and some who seem to be slipped into other roles!
Parliamentary Government via ‘Portfolio Roles’ is a prime example.