Mr Susz said the new routes would see pilots on controls longer and that it was prudent to increase the border of commercial aviation. Such betrayal in the past has drawn strong opposition among pilots who have begun issuing union statements that have not been approved by the union and have asked their colleagues to reject the proposed agreement. “And the pilots told us they didn`t want to extend it any longer than they did four years ago, especially if the Sunrise circuits are in service for more than 22 or 23 hours on a planned basis.” Negotiations with pilots of Qantas` national network – the largest and most profitable segment of the group – have dragged on since March 2018. Short-haul pilots voted against an earlier proposal for an agreement in September. One of the biggest stumbling blocks between the airline and the union was the pay rate of future second officers, most of them young pilots. The company also called for a two-tier wage system, which would pay less to new pilots, as well as the elimination of certain night credits – a wage charge for long flights – and a reduction in overtime pay for work of only 12 hours, from double time to one and a half hours. What the pilots wanted, Susz said, was CASA`s management and management on the basis of solid scientific evidence of what was safe. Jetstar pilots and ground personnel began four-hour strikes earlier this month, the first action by the Qantas Group since the historic grounding in 2011. “The pilots told us unequivocally that they would not approve of that,” he added. The airline opted for the Airbus SE AIR. PA A350-1000 as the preferred aircraft for new routes to cities like London and New York in the first half of 2023, but he said an order for up to 12 planes depended on an agreement with the pilots by March. “Our strong preference is to reach an agreement with our pilots,” he said in a statement after the memo was sent out. However, AIPA stressed that there are still issues to be resolved in long-distance calls using Project Sunrise.
“The proposed agreement will be put to a vote in January and is part of the approach to group-wide wage negotiations. AIPA is also negotiating with Qantas a separate long haul enterprise agreement (LHEA), including pilots employed in Qantas` international service.