The AFAP Negotiating Team met with Jetstar representatives over 2 days this week to continue discussions on the Enterprise Agreement (EA).
Representing the AFAP were pilot representatives Chris Gibson, Dom Corcoran, Ben Bollen, Paul Hogan, Dan Blakemore and Jake Gainger, supported by Senior Industrial/Legal staff Deanna Cain, Patrick Larkins and Andrew Molnar.
Jetstar was represented by Tyrone Simes (Chief Pilot), Michael Porch (Senior Manager Flying Operations), Leah Everton (Senior Manager Operational Insights & Strategy), Tim Faulkner (Employee Relations Manager - Flying Operations) and Vera Gorgievski (National Operations Advisor).
AFAP Base Salary Proposal
As foreshadowed in our last update, the AFAP presented our base salary proposal to Jetstar at this week’s meetings.
Our priority in bargaining has been, and continues to be, securing the best possible outcome for all Jetstar pilots in EA2025.
We appreciate your patience in waiting for the AFAP to present our full remuneration claim. The timing of its release was strategic and dependent on a number of external and internal developments, including:
1. The successful conclusion of the Qantas Short Haul First Officer Training (FOT) matter (see update here)
2. The outcome of the Network Aviation Intractable Bargaining Determination (IBD) (see decision here)
3. The Federal Court’s decision in AFAP v Corporate Air Charter (standby case) (see AFAP media release here and decision here)
4. Jetstar’s record FY25 financial results
Base Salary Structure
Our base salary claim has been structured to:
- meet the benchmarking expectations set at the start of bargaining (see update here), from which we have not deviated;
- extract the most value for Jetstar pilots, both now and into the future; and
- deliver ambitious but attainable outcomes, underpinned by survey data, industry comparisons, and a practical understanding of bargaining limits.
While we do not agree with Qantas’ arbitrary and unwritten wages policy, we cannot ignore its influence across the Group. The AFAP must address it with a strategic and realistic approach.
This is why we are not pursuing a blanket unachievable percentage uplift to the current structure in order to reach our benchmarking targets. Experience shows such an approach would be dismissed outright.
Instead, we are pursuing a balanced pay structure that:
- delivers meaningful increases across the board
- recognises both experience and tenure at Jetstar, and
- maintains credibility and bargaining momentum while ensuring outcomes that properly reflect the professionalism and contribution of every pilot
Survey-Backed Approach
Importantly, the AFAP pay claim is directly based on survey responses from Jetstar pilots, with two clear priorities:
moving away from a single pay scale to one that recognises years at Jetstar and total experience; and
aligning pay with Virgin and Qantas Short Haul EBAs.
To this end, we modelled a range of options (years in service, years in fleet, years in rank) before settling on a hybrid “years in rank / experience” structure. This design provides for a future ready system that ensures a smooth transition and allows most pilots to reach benchmarked pay levels at ratification or shortly thereafter.
Compliance Uplift
In order to pass the better off overall test (BOOT), current Second Officers and Level 1 First Officers will require an 8% uplift. This follows the AFAP v Corporate Air Charter standby case, in which the Federal Court ruled that standby/reserve counts towards the 38 ordinary hours per week, and ordinary hours cannot be averaged when testing compliance with Award minimums.
This uplift applies at agreement approval. As was made clear last EA, the AFAP will not accept changes to the relativities between SO’s, FO’s and Captains, despite removing the actual percentages from the agreement. While the Company may push back, this remains a non-negotiable AFAP position. Accordingly, under our base salary proposal the 8% uplift is to flow through to all pilot levels, with further increments applying on top.
Protecting and Supporting New Pilots
Over past EA’s the AFAP has actively worked to protect new hire pilots. In the 2015 EA we successfully put the requirement on Jetstar to pay for all endorsement training – whereas previously it was up to the new recruit to pay. In the 2019 EA we modified the simulator instructor clauses to allow First Officers to be type rating simulator instructors. This has all been done in an attempt to encourage Jetstar to employ First Officers for internal endorsement training. While this occurs for Second Officers, we have yet to achieve this goal for First Officers. In this EA we are working to bring endorsement training inhouse for First Officers, and part of this requires a 55% FO rate. Importantly, bringing endorsement training inhouse will ensure pilots are employed and paid from day 1.
Our proposed pay rates provide significant increases for all pilots, while balancing the reward across all experience levels. Importantly, our proposal below is ambitious yet realistic, credible at the bargaining table, and designed to secure the best possible outcome for all Jetstar pilots.
Proposed Base Salary Table
Below is an explanation of our proposed structure for each rank:
Captains
Wide Body and Narrow Body cohorts are moving from a single command pay scale to a tiered 6 level scale based on years in rank, while maintaining a 14% differential between the fleets. Each year in rank affords an additional 3% compounding increment.
First Officers
Wide Body and Narrow Body cohorts will remain with the current relativities (55%, 60%, and 65%) from previous agreements, however progression through the tiers will be determined by the individuals licence held and milestone experience achievements. The higher class of licence held and total aeronautical experience will determine progression through the pay tiers.
In addition to the existing levels, our proposal adds a further 3 levels (68%, 71% and 74%) though the Wide body and Narrow Body operation. These additional rates have been added to the First Officer scales to address potential stagnation within Jetstar, allowing for situations where an individual is unable to be upgraded due to factors beyond their control.
Narrow Body only:
55% (Level 1) - Commercial Pilots Licence (Holds a CPL Licence), this level is for individuals entering the airline without the relevant hour or experience requirements to proceed to the ATPL flight test.
Wide Body and Narrow Body
- 60% (Level 2) - ATPL Requirements – A pilot that meets the requirements for an ATPL however is yet to sit the ATPL flight test.
- 65% (Level 3) - ATPL Holder (Holds an ATPL Licence).
- 68% (Level 4) - Meet Command Requirements - which is currently 4000 hours TT, 1500 hours Company aircraft or equivalent plus ATPL.
- 71% (Level 5) - Meet command requirements for 12 months
- 74% (Level 6) - Meet command requirements for 24 months
Our proposed structure for First Officer also includes the following protections:
- A commitment to afford an ATPL flight test to FO’s within 1 year of attaining the requirements for that test. If Jetstar fail to provide an opportunity for the ATPL flight test they will be deemed to have to have passed for the purposes of progressing through the pay scales.
- Grandfathering current 65% (Level 3) FO’s who do not hold an ATPL.
Second Officer
60% of a Level 2 WB FO. Additionally, part of our claim is to allow Second Officers earlier bidding rights so they can increase their remuneration through earlier promotion to the First Officer category.
Jetstar Preliminary Response
Jetstar asked a number of questions regarding our proposed salary structure, particularly in relation to benchmarking against Virgin pilots, which the AFAP has consistently identified as our objective. While they were not enthusiastic about some of the figures at the higher levels, they were also not surprised. Their preliminary feedback was that they saw merit in the structure and were generally complimentary of the thought and effort that had gone into developing a credible proposal. Importantly, they recognised that it provides a potential pathway to meeting the expectations of the pilot group, which is essential for reaching a successful agreement.
Jetstar will now undertake their own costing of the proposal, a process that is likely to take a few weeks before they are in a position to provide a formal response.
Other Remuneration Related Claims
As we have outlined in previous updates, other key elements of the remuneration package the AFAP is pursuing in bargaining includes:
- Enhanced credit system – as outlined here
- Roster Credit Protection (RCP) proposal – as outlined here
- Duty RIG: Credit based on 60% of the time a pilot spends on duty in each FDP (e.g., If assigned a 12 hour duty this will mean the pilot will be credited a minimum of 7.2 Block credit hours).
- 100% Highline allowance: From sign-on to sign-off at home base (i.e., increase layover highline to 100%).
- Overnight Meal and Incidental Allowances (ODTA): In line with ATO Determination Table 3 Domestic or Table 8 Internationally (TD2025/4), which is the highest salary band, for all Narrow Body pilots.
- Wide Body Meal Allowances: Based on ATO Determination Table 3 Domestic or Table 8 Internationally (TD2025/4), which is the highest salary band, for all Wide Body pilots.
- Removal of the Mercer Index for international operations: applying the destination countries cost group across the Wide and Narrow body allowances above.
- Daily Travel Allowance (DTA): Based on ATO Determination Table 3 (TD2025/4), using the highest salary band, for Narrow Body Pilots.
- Senior Training Captain (STC): 10%.
- TRE (Accreditors): 22%.
- Annual Increases to Other Allowances (e.g., LOL, uniform, hard lying): 3% per annum or in line with increases to the Air Pilots Award, whichever is higher.
Other Claims
There was further discussion at the meeting on the AFAP’s claim for increased DDOs, Open Time, and on both parties’ claims regarding part-time arrangements.
We will provide further detail on these discussions ahead of our next bargaining meeting, scheduled for the week commencing 15 September.
If you have any questions, your pilot representatives and AFAP industrial officers Deanna Cain, Pat Larkins or Andrew Molnar are available to assist via jetstar@afap.org.au or call (03) 9928 5737.
Regards,
AFAP Jetstar Negotiating Team
Chris Gibson, Dominic Corcoran, Daniel Blakemore, Ben Bollen, Jake Gainger and Paul Hogan