\u201cIt\u2019s been a bigger challenge than we, New Zealand, thought it would be.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said costs from Auckland Airport\u2019s expansion, the increased international visitor levy<\/a>, and higher fees from regulators had also posed challenges.<\/p>\n \u201cNew Zealand is becoming a much more expensive place. We have got to start to think of ourselves as competing for international tourism.\u201d<\/p>\n She said the country had to do more work to enhance international and domestic connectivity.<\/p>\n But she said Barnz had made progress on getting airports to be more transparent about major capital expenditure.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere airports propose to spend a significant amount of money, they will have to make some upfront disclosures about that.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien will start the new job on September 14, reporting to Scott Zeglin, Jetstar\u2019s executive manager commercial.<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien will continue at Barnz until then.<\/p>\n Barnz members include airlines operating passenger and freight services in New Zealand.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a great opportunity and I am really excited about it and I can\u2019t wait to get started,\u201d she said of the new role.<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien will remain in New Zealand, reporting to the airline\u2019s headquarters in Melbourne.<\/p>\n \u201cJetstar is such an important offering to New Zealand and really makes travel available to New Zealanders in such a wonderful way.\u201d<\/p>\n Jetstar said it made the move to hire O\u2019Brien as it continued to build its presence in New Zealand.<\/p>\n It said O\u2019Brien at Barnz was the voice of New Zealand\u2019s airlines on pricing, regulation and connectivity.<\/p>\n Before Barnz, O\u2019Brien had roles including Air New Zealand head of regulatory affairs during the Covid pandemic.<\/p>\n Jetstar chief executive Steph Tully<\/a> today said O\u2019Brien had deep knowledge of the New Zealand aviation market and strong contacts across the Government and industry.<\/p>\n \u201cCath 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Jetstar, the Qantas Group\u2019s low-cost carrier, has made numerous forays into New Zealand over the past year.<\/p>\n But it also faces a more confident Air New Zealand<\/a>, which in recent months has signalled a departure from survival mode to one of expansion.<\/p>\n \u201cAs we continue to strive to provide more choice and low fares for New Zealanders, having Cath\u2019s expertise in this role will be a big asset,\u201d Tully said.<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien\u2019s move to Jetstar comes less than two months after her counterpart in the airport sector moved on.<\/p>\n New Zealand Airports Association chief executive Billie Moore last month announced a move to a new job<\/a> at a startup.<\/p>\n Moore will go to OneReg, which former Air New Zealand staffers founded after Covid-era airline layoffs in 2020.<\/p>\n