Further to last week’s EA meeting with Jetstar and our subsequent update, we would like to address some of the other matters/claims discussed at that meeting and provide additional clarification in relation to the AFAP’s Base Salary Proposal.
Updated AFAP Base Salary Proposal
Over the last few days we have received a number of questions from members about the AFAP’s proposed pay structure, particularly around the transitional arrangements for the First Officer pay scales.
Concerns have been raised about the potential disadvantage for former cadet pilots and some junior First Officers compared to the existing EA. Specifically:
- The grandfathering of current promotional expectations (Level 2 and Level 3 FO), and
- The barrier to meeting ATPL hours requirements in order to transition to Level 2, due to restrictions on logging PICUS (e.g. for 12 months after cadet training, or when paired with Captains of less than two years’ service).
Upon review, we acknowledge that the initial proposal published to members last week did not fully address all transitional arrangements for incumbent pilots.
- The AFAP’s objective has always been to ensure that:
- All pilots are better off under the proposed new pay structure into the future, and
- No pilot is disadvantaged compared to the current EA.
Consistent with this objective, the AFAP EA team has now included additional safeguards in the proposal to address current promotional expectations and to recognise the restrictions on FOs logging PICUS, as outlined below:
- First Officers who currently hold the requirements for an ATPL flight test will be afforded an ATPL flight test with in 1 year of commencement of the agreement. 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.
- First Officers who attain the requirements for an ATPL flight test will be afforded an ATPL flight test with in 1 year of attaining those requirements. 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.
- First Officers who hold a Commercial Pilots Licence will transition to Level 2 (60%) at the earlier of:
i) Meeting the minimum ATPL flight test requirements or
ii) 4 years of Company service
- Current Level 3 (65%) FO’s who do not hold an ATPL will transition to the new Level 3 (65%) under the pay structure.
- Current Level 2 (60%) FO’s who do not hold the requirements for an ATPL flight test will transition to the new Level 2 under the pay structure.
- Current and former SO’s who have served 1 year as a FO and have not yet attained the requirements for an ATPL flight test (normally due to PICUS restrictions) will transition to Level 2 (60%) pay on their 1 year anniversary of being a FO.
These additional safeguards and clarifications have now been formally tabled with Jetstar, and we believe they address the key questions and concerns raised by members.
Some members have also questioned the AFAP’s approach, seeking clarification on the difference between the Captain structure, based on years in rank, and the First Officer structure, which is intrinsically linked to qualifications and experience.
The AFAP’s rationale for pursuing a structure tied to First Officers achieving ATPL and command upgrade requirements is to maximise value for pilots both in the short term and over the life of the EA, as well as across their broader careers with Jetstar.
We do not believe a purely service-based progression system for First Officers would deliver the same level of benefit, as Jetstar places significant value on pilots reaching command readiness. By aligning pay progression with these milestones, we ensure that pilots are rewarded immediately upon meeting the requirements, through guaranteed uplifts in base salary.
At the same time, protections are in place for those unable to meet the requirements due to circumstances outside of their control such as ICUS restrictions, by providing for progression after four years of service. This protection would also apply to pilots who took any period of Parental Leave, ensuring their pay progression is not hindered by time away from flying.
Ultimately, our structure has been designed with one clear objective: to extract maximum value for all Jetstar pilots.
Increased DDOs
There was further discussion on the AFAP’s claim for increased DDOs. As outlined in our previous update, Jetstar has acknowledged that increased DDOs represent a critical lifestyle issue that must be addressed for any new agreement to be successful. However, Jetstar has indicated three areas where it would require movement in order to progress the claim:
- Additional STB Day below 75 hours – increasing the maximum from 3 STBY days to 4.
- Restructuring WDO payments - decoupling them from annual salary, while maintaining a payment no less than the current minimum 2019 EA WDO rates.
- Reintroduction of the NOFF – consistent with the pre-2015 EA, to better manage the annual DDO requirement (currently 132) when pilots take big blocks of leave (further detail from Jetstar is pending).
While the AFAP does not consider these issues to be insurmountable obstacles to achieving an increase in days off, we provided clear feedback on key matters that would need to be addressed in each area to enable progress. Jetstar has taken this feedback away for further consideration.
Jetstar Part Time Proposal
Jetstar presented a revised Part-Time proposal, which included a separate but interrelated system for Carers Flexi Line (CFL) and Transition to Retirement (TTR). This was tabled in support of its claim to reform part-time arrangements and replace VFL with a more traditional part-time system. The revision followed feedback from the AFAP at the last meeting, where we raised concerns regarding:
- Pro-rata entitlements being rounded down in Jetstar’s favour.
- The risk that resource group-specific limits could, in practice, reduce the overall number of pilots able to access part-time.
- Moving away from the current order-of-application process, limiting access for pilots seeking part-time for lifestyle reasons.
While Jetstar’s proposal demonstrated substantial movement and, on paper, a significant increase in the number of pilots who could access part-time arrangements (including CFL and TTR), it still falls short in several key areas for the AFAP to justify moving away from the highly valued VFL system currently available at this time.
The AFAP will provide Jetstar with a comprehensive response prior to the next meeting, outlining our preferred approach and alternatives, with the aim of reaching consensus on the part-time arrangements to be included in the final EA package that pilots will eventually be asked to vote on.
Open Time
Jetstar has confirmed its support for the AFAP’s Open Time proposal. As outlined previously, our proposed system is designed to operate independently of the current EFA divisor (75 hours) and is built around the concept of an Open Time Bank (OTB). See here for more information on the AFAP Open Time Proposal.
While the OTB model may not be the most desirable way to administer Open Time for either party, it has been put forward as a practical and workable approach under Jetstar’s current pay structure. The AFAP has been realistic about Jetstar’s stance on the costs associated with an EFA reduction, and our member-led objective remains clear: to increase income through guaranteed salary rather than productivity payments, with a strong preference for guaranteed salary increases that are not at risk from operational factors outside members’ control.
It is not yet known whether system capability will support an automated process at commencement of a new EA, as this will depend on the successful rollout of Jetstar’s new Crew Management system early next year. In the interim, Jetstar has committed to implementing a manual system until full automation of Open Time can be achieved.
Next meeting
Given the large volume of work Jetstar has to undertake, including costing and analysing the AFAP’s remuneration proposal, as well as drafting and responding to a number of other outstanding claims, the parties have agreed that the most productive use of time would be to vacate next week’s scheduled EA meeting. This will allow Jetstar to focus on those tasks and be prepared with responses at the meetings scheduled for the end of September.
AFAP Telegram Chat Forum
A reminder to members who have not yet joined the AFAP Telegram Chat Forum, launched by the JPF earlier this year, you can do so via the link below:
https://t.me/+w_dAyA2mrlQ0ZGI9.
The link will remain open for one week (until COB 19th September) following which time the JPF will reconcile new registered participants against our membership list and remove anyone who is not eligible to participate. After this time, members who wish to join can email jetstar@afap.org.au and request to be added to the chat.
This forum is open to AFAP members only, and participants are required to join and post using their real name (no pseudonyms). This rule has already proven effective in fostering constructive discussions and creating a respectful environment for meaningful conversation about the 2025 EA negotiations.
JPF committee members actively monitor the forum, respond to questions, and provide updates. Our goal is to maintain an open and supportive space where all contributions are valued and members can stay informed throughout the negotiation process.
We encourage new participant to familiarise themselves with the AFAP JPF Telegram Rule Set.
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