Qantas

The proposed 2026 EA includes a number of important changes to existing provisions, as well as several new provisions and additional protections not contained in the 2019 EA. These are outlined below:

Union Consultative Committee (UCC)

The proposed 2026 EA includes an important evolution of the existing Pilot Consultative Committee (PCC), transitioning to a new Union Consultative Committee (UCC) structure.

The intent of this change is to create a more structured, accountable and representative consultation framework between pilots, the Company and the unions formally covered by the Agreement.

Under the current 2019 EA, the PCC includes a combination of union-nominated and independently elected pilot representatives. While the PCC has historically played an important role in pilot consultation, the updated UCC model recognises that the unions covered by the Agreement ultimately carry formal industrial accountability and legal responsibility in relation to the EA. This includes ensuring compliance with EA provisions, enforcing terms and conditions, and participating in consultation processes.

This change also aligns with the improvement to the Dispute Resolution Procedure which now allows the union to initiate a dispute in its own name, without requiring an individual pilot to be named.

Unlike independent representatives, the unions covered by the Agreement are accountable to members, subject to governance obligations under the Fair Work Act, and resourced to pursue matters through formal industrial and legal channels where required. This includes the ability to engage industrial officers, legal teams and specialist advisers to support pilots and enforce EA outcomes.

The new UCC framework formalises quarterly consultation meetings between the Company and the unions covered by the Agreement, with dedicated agenda items including: 

• Hotels, transport and meals
• Rostering and bidding 
• Online training and time allocation reviews
• Operational performance and feedback
• Policy and procedural changes affecting pilots
• Port security and global operational issues
• Review of deidentified IFAs and part-time arrangements
• Sick leave pool monitoring and MoU discussions 

Importantly, the Agreement now also formally establishes a HOTAC and Meals Subcommittee, allowing union pilot representatives to directly participate in accommodation inspections, meal standard reviews and consultation regarding hotel standards and transport arrangements.

This represents a more mature and structured consultation model, consistent with arrangements commonly seen across major Australian airlines, where consultation is conducted directly with recognised unions covered by the enterprise agreement.

Both Qantas and Virgin Australia primarily engage through formal union consultation structures rather than independent pilot committees operating with no union oversight or accountability. The updated UCC model therefore brings Jetstar more into line with broader industry practice.

The negotiating team considered it important that consultation rights under the Agreement sit with organisations that: 

• are formally covered by the EA;
• have ongoing industrial accountability to pilots;
• possess the resources to pursue disputes and enforcement where necessary; and
• remain subject to democratic oversight through their membership structures. 

Overall, the intent of these changes is to strengthen consultation and provide a clearer, more effective framework for resolving operational and industrial issues affecting pilots across the group.

Open Time (OT)

A number of pilots have asked questions regarding the proposed introduction of an Open Time (OT) system under the proposed 2026 EA.

At the outset it is important to note that the concept of an Open Time system is not new. The current EA already contains a clause requiring consultation on the creation of an Open Time system. Despite this, Jetstar has never implemented a functional Open Time system.

The proposed EA goes further by establishing a formal framework and timeline for a trial Open Time system, with the Company required to introduce a trial no later than 1 December 2027.

The delayed commencement date is largely associated with the planned replacement of the current Rocade crewing system and the implementation of new crewing software later this year. It is expected that the initial Open Time process may need to operate in a manual or semi-manual form while the Company develops and integrates the necessary software capability and associated processes required to support a fully functioning OT system.

In the meantime, the Company has committed to working with the unions through a dedicated working group to develop and finalise the detailed OT Policy and associated processes prior to implementation.

In practical terms, Open Time is intended to allow:

• pilots to voluntarily place rostered Tours of Duty (ToDs) into an OT system for another pilot to pick up; and
• the Company to place otherwise uncrewed flying into OT for volunteers to pick up.

Importantly participation in OT is entirely voluntary. Pilots are not required to drop or pick up work.

The proposed EA also contains a number of limitations and safeguards around how OT may operate, including:

• restrictions on the types of duties that can be dropped or picked up;
• protections preventing clashes with existing duties, standby, available days or rest requirements;
• limits on how far in advance the Company can place flying into OT (generally a minimum of 168 hours / 7 days before commencement unless otherwise agreed with the unions, helping protect WDO opportunities);
• confirmation that if a dropped trip is not picked up, the original pilot remains responsible for operating the ToD; and
• mandatory consultation with the unions regarding the OT Policy and future changes.

One of the more unique aspects of the proposed model is the “OT Bank”. Under this system:

• pilots who offload a trip carry the associated TOD credit as a debit;
• pilots who pick up additional trips accrue the associated TOD credit; and
• balances are reconciled periodically, with any net credit or debit then paid or deducted as EFA.

The intent of this mechanism is to allow greater flexibility for pilots to pick up or offload TODs while minimising additional cost to the Company, consistent with the longstanding guiding principle already contained within the current EA.

For example, if a pilot offloads a two-sector tour of duty, such as BNE–MEL–BNE, worth 4.8 credit hours, their Open Time Bank would accrue a 4.8-hour debt. Importantly, the pilot would still retain the 4.8 credit hours toward their EFA for the month, despite no longer operating those sectors.

The OT Bank simply records that the pilot has offloaded flying and must either offset that debt by picking up flying from Open Time, or repay it through a deduction from pay at the applicable EFA rate when the OT Bank is reconciled. For example, at the proposed Level 1 Captain EFA rate of $335.88, offloading that trip without picking up replacement flying would result in a deduction of approximately $1,612 at the time of reconciliation.

The proposed EA requires a formal review process during the OT trial, including consultation with the unions regarding participation rates, rostering impacts, payroll outcomes and operational practicality. If as part of this review it is determined that the OT Bank is not practicable or reasonable to continue with, the OT Bank can be discontinued.

Importantly however the administrative process of the OT Bank will not, of itself, constitute a reasonable basis for discontinuing the OT Bank following the consultation.

If the OTB is discontinued, the Company may revert to a revised OT process in which it limits the ability for Pilots to offload ToD(s) based on their rostered Credit Hours and potential of additional EFA payments.

During the trial period, Jetstar may also make changes to the OT system, provided it consults with the unions. After the trial period, the OT Policy may only be varied by the Company if the changes are either agreed by all unions or endorsed by a majority of pilots covered by the Agreement following consultation with the unions.

This is an important safeguard. Jetstar will be required to genuinely consult with the AFAP during the Open Time trial and as part of the review process. Once the OT Policy has been finalised, any further changes will require either union agreement or majority pilot endorsement.

We believe this is a reasonable compromise in circumstances where the Company is introducing a new system that may have shortcomings or unintended consequences for the pilot group as much as for Jetstar.

We also note that Open Time was a neutral cost item in bargaining. While it has the potential to provide a useful additional flexibility mechanism for pilots if it functions as intended, the AFAP has not hinged our endorsement of the proposed agreement on this concept.

As with many modern airline rostering systems internationally, Open Time has the potential to provide pilots with additional flexibility and greater ability to voluntarily trade or pick up work. However, the detail of how the system ultimately functions in practice will largely depend on the OT Policy, the capability of the new crewing platform, and the consultation process that occurs prior to implementation.

Demotion

The proposed 2026 EA introduces, for the first time, a formal demotion process for pilots assessed as unsuitable for command after being Checked to Line.

Importantly, under the current 2019 EA there is effectively no formal demotion pathway once a pilot is operating in command. In practical terms, this means the Company’s only clear formal option may be termination of employment, unless the pilot agrees to an alternative outcome involving demotion.

The proposed clause creates an alternative pathway that allows a pilot to remain employed with Jetstar in a lower classification, rather than facing a binary outcome of either remaining in command or dismissal.

The negotiating team viewed this as a more practical, transparent and preferable outcome for pilots.

The clause also introduces a number of procedural protections that do not currently formally exist in the Agreement, including: 

• written notification of concerns;
• a minimum 48-hour response period before any meeting;
• an opportunity for the pilot to respond and provide supporting material;
• a requirement for the Chief Pilot to genuinely consider the pilot’s response; 
• the right to representation, including union representation; and
• salary protection for up to 2 months or until checked to line in the lower position.

The clause also requires the Company to outline any pathway or conditions for future re-promotion.

Importantly, the provision only applies to pilots already Checked to Line and operating in command. It does not apply during upgrade or promotional training.

While no pilot wants to contemplate these situations arising, the negotiating team considered that having a transparent and procedurally fair framework is preferable to the absence of any formal process under the current EA. We also consider the inclusion of this provision to be an incremental step toward a more mature airline agreement, and it should be viewed in that context.

Operational Events and Safety Related Investigations

The proposed 2026 EA expands and clarifies the existing “Incidents and Investigations” provisions so that they now expressly apply to investigations arising from operational events and safety-related incidents.

This improvement was sought by the AFAP because the current provisions in the 2019 EA are primarily directed toward conduct and performance matters and do not clearly or expressly deal with operational events or safety-related investigations. While a broadly similar process has generally been followed in practice for these types of matters, there has been some uncertainty and inconsistency around how aspects of the clause apply.

The proposed clause provides clearer guidance for pilots and the Company by setting out how operational and safety-related investigations may be managed, including circumstances where a pilot is removed from duty while an investigation is undertaken.

Importantly, where a pilot is removed from duty pending investigation, they will continue to receive their annual salary. The clause also carries across key existing protections, including:

• the right to representation;
• the right to choose who represents them during the safety investigation process;
• natural justice; and
• procedural fairness.

The clause also confirms that pilots cannot be required to attend an investigation meeting on a Designated Day Off or Annual Leave Day. A pilot may agree to attend on one of these days, however, where they do so, no WDO payment or additional allowance will apply.

The proposed provision also identifies the possible outcomes following an operational or safety-related investigation. Depending on the circumstances, the Company may extend the period of removal from duty while a more comprehensive investigation is completed, assign additional coaching or training, commence a disciplinary process under the relevant disciplinary provisions, or take no further action.

A further important protection secured in the clause relates to EFA. Where no further action is taken, or where the outcome of the investigation is that the pilot did not contribute to the event or incident due to performance deficiencies, the pilot will be entitled to receive payment for any EFA they would have earned in accordance with their original roster for the period of removal from duty.

This is an important clarification and protection. It recognises that where a pilot is removed from duty during an investigation but is ultimately not found to have contributed to the event due to performance deficiencies, they should not be financially disadvantaged by the loss of rostered EFA.

Overall, this is a sensible and practical improvement to the Agreement. It formalises a clearer process for operational and safety-related investigations, preserves key procedural protections for pilots, and provides greater certainty around pay outcomes where no adverse finding is made.

Work Day Off (WDO) Payments

One of the concessions adopted in the proposed EA is a change to the way the WDO Payments are calculated, by linking the payment to Level 1 pay rates for each rank, and to the Wide Body First Officer Level 2 rate for Wide Body pilots.

Jetstar’s initial position as part of increasing total DDOs from 132 to 144 per annum was to de-link the WDO/DDO payment from base salary altogether and instead apply a flat dollar amount for each rank. The AFAP resisted this approach, as it would have eroded the real value of the payment over time and removed the benefit of future base salary increases flowing through to DDO payments.

Jetstar subsequently proposed linking WDO/DDO payments to Level 1 salary rates for each rank. While this was not the AFAP’s preferred position, it formed part of the broader in-principle agreement and was ultimately agreed by the unions as one component of the overall package.

The table below outlines the comparative movement between the 2019 EA structure and the proposed EA arrangement for a zero-hour WDO payment. It is important to note that the formula hasn’t changed (Annual Salary/231 plus the greater of Annual Salary/231 or WDO hours), just the reference to what a days’ pay and WDO hours is referenced to.

The table below sets out the minimum WDO payments a pilot would receive under the proposed EA (2026):

As with a number of items in the proposed EA, this outcome needs to be considered as part of the overall package, including the increase in annual DDOs, the improvements to base salary, and the broader structural reforms secured through bargaining.

Training Flexibilities – New Hire Pilot, Promotional/Conversion Training and RTW Pilots

The proposed 2026 EA includes a new and more detailed training framework covering:

• new hire pilots commencing employment with Jetstar;
• existing pilots undertaking endorsement, conversion or promotional training; and
• pilots who require return-to-work training following SOC / 324 restrictions or personal leave.

These provisions represent a concession to the Company by providing additional flexibility to manage training pathways more efficiently. However, they have been agreed as part of the broader package of improvements secured across the Agreement, including the improved salary structure, increased DDOs, enhanced protections and other key outcomes.

Importantly, the proposed training provisions are also expected to support shorter and more efficient training pathways, particularly as more endorsement training is progressively brought in-house. For new hire pilots, this has the tangible benefit of employment commencing from the beginning of endorsement training, with pilots placed on the Jetstar seniority list from that point.

New Hire Pilots Under Training

The proposed EA introduces a specific framework for new hire Wide Body Second Officers, Narrow Body First Officers and Direct Entry Captains from the commencement of employment until they either successfully complete Check to Line or reach six months’ employment, whichever occurs first.

During this period, a New Hire Pilot Under Training will be rostered a minimum of 9 DDOs or Out of Base Off days per roster period. These days may be rostered as single days or consecutive days, with no limit on the number of single days that may be rostered.

Jetstar will also have the ability to move a DDO or OBF for training requirements, provided the pilot is notified no later than 1100 hours prior to their DDO/OBF. This provision won’t apply to star days. Where a day is moved in these circumstances, no DDO allowance will be payable. However, the moved day must be replaced either within the current roster period or within the following two roster periods.

A further flexibility has been included for extended training away from home base. Where a New Hire Pilot Under Training is rostered to undertake training away from their Home Base for more than 21 consecutive days, the 50% extended time away from home base rest requirement will not apply. However, Jetstar will be required to roster the pilot a minimum of 3 consecutive days free of duty at their Home Base upon return.

Jetstar will also be able to roster or assign Training Available days, or TVL days, as required during training period. These days will not count toward the normal monthly standby limits. Where a pilot is displaced from a training tour of duty, Jetstar may assign TVL and/or a replacement training duty, rather than applying the usual reassignment provisions.

Meal allowance and ODTA arrangements for training conducted away from home base will be linked to the Air Pilots Award meal allowances.

Existing Pilots – Endorsement, Conversion or Promotional Training

The proposed EA also includes a separate framework for existing pilots undertaking endorsement, conversion or promotional training.

Pilots undertaking this training away from home base may be rostered Out of Base Off days between training duties. Where OBFs are rostered, they will count as DDOs for the purposes of the annual DDO entitlement and DDO rostering requirements.

Unlike new hire pilots, TVL days for existing pilots undertaking endorsement, conversion or promotional training will be capped by the monthly standby limits. In other words, TVL will replace standby during these training periods, but will not be unlimited. In practice, this is what Jetstar are doing now even though there is no reference to TVL in the 2019 EA.

The proposed EA also modifies the current rest period protections for extended training away from home base. Clause 47.12 will not apply during endorsement, conversion or promotional simulator training that is undertaken overseas. However, where a pilot is rostered to undertake training overseas for more than 21 consecutive days, Jetstar must roster the pilot a minimum of 5 consecutive days free of duty at their Home Base upon return.

Return-to-Work Training

The proposed EA also provides Jetstar with additional flexibility where a pilot requires return-to-work training following:

• a period of Subject to Operational Clearance or 324 restriction; or
• a period of personal leave.

In these circumstances, Jetstar may roster or assign an unlimited number of TVL days where they are required for return-to-work training.

However, once a pilot is successfully Checked to Line, any remaining TVL on the pilot’s roster must be converted to a rostered duty, standby (subject to caps), available day (subject to caps) or day free of duty. This ensures TVL is used for its intended training purpose and does not remain on the roster once the pilot has been cleared to return to normal line operations.

Summary

The training appendix is a material concession to Jetstar. It provides the Company with broader flexibility to manage training pathways, particularly for new hire pilots and pilots undertaking conversion, endorsement or promotional training.

However, the negotiating team considered this concession in the context of the overall EA package. Similar training flexibilities already exist in other pilot agreements, including at Qantas Mainline and Virgin, and Jetstar made clear that additional flexibility in this area was important to support broader changes to training delivery.

For incumbent Jetstar pilots, these provisions are expected to assist in reducing the gap between simulator training and line training, particularly where simulator courses are conducted overseas. This should help shorten the overall training timeline and allow pilots to reach Check to Line sooner.

For future pilots, the key benefit is that more endorsement training can be brought in-house, allowing pilots to commence paid employment and be placed on the Jetstar seniority list from the beginning of endorsement training, rather than only after training has been completed.

While these changes are not without compromise, they form part of the broader negotiated outcome and have assisted in unlocking value across the Agreement. The AFAP’s focus has been to ensure that, where additional flexibility is provided to the Company, appropriate protections are still included for pilots and that the broader package delivers a net positive outcome for the pilot group.

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.

Members can also engage constructively with AFAP pilot representatives and industrial staff via the members-only AFAP Telegram forum here.

Regards,

AFAP Jetstar Negotiating Team
Chris Gibson, Dominic Corcoran, Daniel Blakemore, Ben Bollen, Jake Gainger and Paul Hogan