Qantas subsidiary strikes hit regional flights

Flights on Western Australian Qantas subsidiary airline Network Aviation are disrupted today as strike action organised by the Australian Federation of Air Pilots goes ahead.

The Fair Work Commission approved strikes started at 12.01am and will run for 24 hours, affecting the airline that services regional and fly-in, fly-out routes across the state.

More than 90 per cent of Network Aviation’s 250 pilots are Australian Federation of Air Pilots members, and eligible to take part.

Qantas flights to Broome, Paraburdoo, Wodgina, West Angelas, Karratha, Eliwana, Solomon, Port Hedland, Kalgoorlie, Newman and some interstate services have been cancelled, according to Perth Airport records.

About 35 return flights are understood to be affected over the 24-hour period.

Federation senior industrial officer Chris Aikens said the union felt it had little choice but to go ahead with the strikes.  

“Our members deeply regret having to take this protected industrial action but are left with no other option,” he said.

“The enterprise agreement expired in 2020 and pilots had their last pay rise in 2019.

“We have been negotiating in good faith for at least eighteen months but the company continues to be inflexible.”

Striking staff are pushing for two hours of notice for reserve pilots called up for work; 6am starts after a day off; duty travel in business class; the same duty hours allowance as other Qantas staff; an increase in overtime; 10 rostered days off; and a revised rostering system.

The union said a number of these conditions were applied to other parts of the Qantas business.

“Network Aviation pilots in WA fly the same aircraft on similar routes and just want to be treated like other Qantas pilots,” Mr Aikens said.

Qantas is seeking Fair Work arbitration through an intractable bargaining declaration.

Premier Roger Cook said any disruption to airlines serving the resources sector was a concern for WA, but that the impact had been mitigated.

"My understanding is around ninety-five per cent of affected passengers were able to be placed on other flights, so I'm really pleased that the impact on individual customers has been as small as possible," he said.

The premier called for a resolution in the ongoing dispute between the union and airline.

“We urge the parties to sit down and resolve these issues,” he said.

“Our regional aviation industry is fundamental to keeping our economy going, and to keeping our communities connected.

“We need these air services to be available so that we can get workers into, and out of, our important resources industries.”