“It’s been a bigger challenge than we, New Zealand, thought it would be.”
She said costs from Auckland Airport’s expansion, the increased international visitor levy, and higher fees from regulators had also posed challenges.
“New Zealand is becoming a much more expensive place. We have got to start to think of ourselves as competing for international tourism.”
She said the country had to do more work to enhance international and domestic connectivity.
But she said Barnz had made progress on getting airports to be more transparent about major capital expenditure.
“Where airports propose to spend a significant amount of money, they will have to make some upfront disclosures about that.”
O’Brien will start the new job on September 14, reporting to Scott Zeglin, Jetstar’s executive manager commercial.
O’Brien will continue at Barnz until then.
Barnz members include airlines operating passenger and freight services in New Zealand.
“It’s a great opportunity and I am really excited about it and I can’t wait to get started,” she said of the new role.
O’Brien will remain in New Zealand, reporting to the airline’s headquarters in Melbourne.
“Jetstar is such an important offering to New Zealand and really makes travel available to New Zealanders in such a wonderful way.”
Jetstar said it made the move to hire O’Brien as it continued to build its presence in New Zealand.
It said O’Brien at Barnz was the voice of New Zealand’s airlines on pricing, regulation and connectivity.
Before Barnz, O’Brien had roles including Air New Zealand head of regulatory affairs during the Covid pandemic.
Jetstar chief executive Steph Tully today said O’Brien had deep knowledge of the New Zealand aviation market and strong contacts across the Government and industry.
“Cath brings a rare mix of commercial smarts and regulatory know-how, and a strong track record of getting good outcomes for airlines and travellers alike.”
Jetstar, the Qantas Group’s low-cost carrier, has made numerous forays into New Zealand over the past year.
But it also faces a more confident Air New Zealand, which in recent months has signalled a departure from survival mode to one of expansion.
“As we continue to strive to provide more choice and low fares for New Zealanders, having Cath’s expertise in this role will be a big asset,” Tully said.
O’Brien’s move to Jetstar comes less than two months after her counterpart in the airport sector moved on.
New Zealand Airports Association chief executive Billie Moore last month announced a move to a new job at a startup.
Moore will go to OneReg, which former Air New Zealand staffers founded after Covid-era airline layoffs in 2020.
John Weekes is a business journalist covering aviation. He previously covered consumer affairs, crime, politics and courts.
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