Your JPF representatives have been in discussions with the Company regarding the 2026 Annual Leave Ballot process, which opened yesterday.
Revised ACALS Timeline
Given the timing of the current FSO 099/25 (Allocation of Pilot Vacancies) and the significant number of pilot movements this will result in during the leave allocation rounds, the AFAP has agreed to the revised ACALS timeline below to provide greater certainty for pilots bidding for advertised and consequential vacancies.
Delaying the Round 2 Off Peak leave ballot until after the FSO awards have been published (expected on or around 23 July) will allow Jetstar time to advise pilots of potential training or transfer windows, so that pilots can bid strategically around those periods and reduce the risk of their leave being cancelled. This delay to Round 2 has also resulted in a minor impact to Round 3 dates, however the rest of the ACALS timeline will not be impacted.
Round 1 – Peak Leave
Unfortunately, the timing of the FSO and Round 1 Peak Leave Draw was not able to be moved to accommodate pilots being able to bid in the Peak Leave draw with greater visibility and certainty.
Therefore, pilots bidding for a change in base, rank or type in the current FSO should be mindful that if they bid for and are awarded peak leave in Round 1, this leave may be cancelled on publication of the seniority List (see clause 51.14 of the EA) particularly if it falls during the period of upgrade/conversion training and or subsequent consolidation. In this scenario a pilot’s peak priority will not be reinstated (ACALS 17.2) and the cancelled peak slots are typically not made available to the remaining pilots in the cohort.
As such we caution pilots who are likely to be awarded a vacancy in this FSO from bidding in the Round 1 Peak Leave Draw.
Company Allocated Leave
We remind pilots that given that that the Company has advertised at least 6 weeks annual leave per pilot at the commencement of the 2026 Annual Leave Year (this has been validated by JPF reps) it has the ability to allocate leave in Round 6 of the Ballot process as per the process set out below:
14. ROUND SIX – COMPANY LEAVE ALLOCATION ROUND
14.1.1. The pilot has less than 6 weeks leave awarded in Rounds 1 to 5 (inclusive);
14.1.2 The pilot’s annual leave balance measured at the end of the Annual Leave Year will be no less than 4 weeks; and
14.1.3 The pilot receives written notice of their assigned leave at the completion of Round Six.
14.2 In Round Six, the Company will select pilots for leave allocation in the following order:
14.2.1 Pilots who achieved the least number of weeks of leave in Rounds One to Five.
14.2.2 Where there is more than 1 pilot who achieved the same number of weeks of leave, reverse seniority will be used to determine who is allocated the leave (i.e. the less senior pilot will be allocated the leave).
14.3.3 Notwithstanding clauses 2.1 and 14.2.2, due to the requirement in clause 14.1.2 the Company may need to vary this selection order in consideration of individual pilot leave balances.
The AFAP strongly encourages all pilots bid for 6 weeks leave in rounds one to five.
New Hire Pilots starting after 01 July
Pilots commencing employment with Jetstar from 01 July onwards have been excluded from the establishment numbers in each cohort as they are yet to commence employment with Jetstar. These pilots commencing post 01 July 2025 will:
1. Still have the ability to bid for annual leave after they commence employment with Jetstar.
2. Since the pilots are not utilised to comply with clause 14.1 (ACALS) then they will be excluded from the Company allocated round.
The combined effect of this position will encourage new hire pilots to bid for leave as there will be no leave left at the conclusion of the ACALS process. This in turn will limit the amount of leave the Company can allocate the incumbent cohorts in round 6.
AFAP Payroll Deduction Now Available to Jetstar Pilots
A reminder to all members that AFAP payroll deduction will be available to Jetstar pilots from the July 2025 pay period.
Members who wish to switch to payroll deduction as their preferred method of payment can do so by completing the AFAP Subscription Deduction Authorisation Form, available on the Jetstar JEN here.
Alternatively, pilots can access the form on the Jen via JEN/‘Pilots’ page/ Forms (under ‘Employment’ subheading) / AFAP Subscription Deduction Authorisation Form (under Payroll/Accounts’ subheading)
This form authorises Jetstar to deduct AFAP membership fees directly from a pilot’s post-tax base salary each month, with the funds remitted to the AFAP to cover your membership subscription. This arrangement, already in place at several other airlines including Qantas, Virgin, and QantasLink, offers a convenient alternative to quarterly or annual payments and is preferred by many members.
To be included in the initial July 2025 pay run (scheduled around 15 July), the completed form must be submitted via the JEN no later than Friday 4 July 2025.
If you have already paid a portion of your 2025/26 AFAP subscription and would like to transition to payroll deduction immediately, please contact AFAP Finance Officer Lennie Kovac via:
Lennie can assist with the transition and arrange any applicable refund
Your pilot representatives are on hand if you have any questions regarding above.
Alternatively, you can contact your AFAP industrial officers Deanna Cain, Pat Larkins or Andrew Molnar via email deanna@afap.org.au, patrick@afap.org.au, or andrew@afap.org.au or call (03) 9928 5737.
Regards,
AFAP Jetstar Pilot Federation Committee
Andrew Ward, Ben Bollen, Chris Gibson, Christo Hailes, Clinton Baxter, Daniel Blakemore, Darren Fielder, Darren Davis, Dominic Corcoran, Ed Greenidge, Jake Gainger, Jordan Moras, Mick Dwyer, Paul Hogan and Raj Krishnan