QPC Briefing No. 60 2026
SH Update – Reserved Vacancies
As pilots will have seen, today Qantas has released A320 reserve vacancies in Brisbane and Sydney to manage the surplus of B737 pilots for the remainder of the current training year.
We recognise this has created a number of questions given this is the first time this process has been used.
A320 Reserved Vacancies Process
SHEA9 defines an “A320 Reserved Vacancy” as “a vacancy on the A320 reserved in the first instance for B737 pilots as part of the fleet transition from the B737 to the A320.”
Clause 16.6 of SHEA9 sets out the process to be followed for the B737 to A320 transition. Under clause 16.6.3, “the Company will determine the number of A320 vacancies in each base and category to be reserved as A320 Reserved Vacancies”.
However, clause 16.6.4 specifies that the total number of A320 Reserved Vacancies cannot exceed the number of B737 surplus number of B737 pilots in the equivalent category. The surplus number is determined by Qantas based on what it “anticipates or foreshadows will be surplus in the equivalent B737 category in that training block.”
The number of A320 Reserved Vacancies has been determined under clause 16.6.5 as 11 Captain and 21 First Officer positions in Brisbane and Sydney (“reserved vacancies”).
Award of Vacancies
The first stage is that the reserved vacancies are awarded in the following order to pilots who have submitted a bid:
1. in seniority order to B737 pilots in the same rank and base (but not a pilot at a temporary transfer base); and then
2. in seniority order to B737 in the same but in other bases.
Under clause 20.2.1 of SHEA9, pilots awarded a reserved vacancy will be subject to a freeze of four (4) training blocks (starting from the training block in which the training for the vacancy is planned to commence).
The AFAP has put to Qantas that it is unreasonable that pilots bidding to retain their existing rank and base in a fleet replacement are subject to a training freeze. This will create a barrier to pilots bidding, opening up utilisation of alternate options (see further below).
What happens if there are insufficient Bidders for Reserved Vacancies?
Following the award process above the Company will then review the remaining number of A320 Reserved Vacancies (if any). Under clause 16.6.6, the Company in its discretion may take any of the following actions (or a combination of them):
- withdraw the remaining reserved vacancies or any number of them;
- make all or any number of the remaining reserved vacancies available as part of the general vacancy pool in the annual allocations;
- assign the remaining reserved vacancies or any number of them in the following order:
- in reverse seniority to B737 in rank and base (but not a pilot at a temporary transfer base); and then
- in reverse seniority to B737 in rank and in any base.
Under clause 20.2.3 a pilot assigned a reserved vacancy will be subject to a type freeze of 18 months from being cleared to the line.
Further Reserved Vacancy Processes
We note that the pilots assigned or awarded positions will then transition to the A320 and be excluded for any future A320 reserved vacancy process.
For example, if a Melbourne based B737 First Officer is awarded/assigned a Sydney reserved vacancy, and then a subsequent A320 reserved vacancy process occurs in which First Officer positions are offered in Melbourne, this pilot will not have access.
The AFAP has raised with Qantas the inherent unfairness of this approach to pilots assigned a new base, as this circumvents the priority access to a pilots base and rank on the A320.
For A320 pilots, the only access to other bases will be if positions are offered in a normal allocation available for bidding to all pilots.
Eligibility of B737 Pilots under a Training Freeze
Qantas has confirmed that a B737 pilot subject to a current B737 training freeze can be assigned a reserved vacancy. In that instance their existing training freeze is removed and replaced with the 18-month freeze.
Qantas advised it was encouraging B737 pilots to bid for the reserved vacancies even if they are subject to a training freeze period and that any decision to waive any training freeze to award a pilot a reserved vacancy would only be made after bids close, and once it has seen the final results of the bidding process.
The AFAP position is that as B737 pilots under freeze can be assigned a reserved vacancy then similarly pilots should be eligible to be awarded positions.
A320 Entry into Service (EIS) Provisions
Pilots considering bidding for the A320 will be aware of its low flying hours during its entry into service period. We note that the EIS period in Appendix H has ended, and as such the Company are no longer required to provide A320 pilots a top up payment to 68 credit hours.
It is also important to highlight that the reserve credit operates differently to other passive credits, in that it applies only above MGH. The definition of passive credits in the EA is:
credit which does not apply during roster construction but which does apply for pay purposes. Passive credits will be paid in addition to MGH, except in relation to passive credits for reserve duties which will contribute towards MGH for pay purposes only.
This means that a pilot with 3 unused reserve duties and 48 hours flying for a bid period will be paid for 60 hours. The rules for reserve are otherwise the same as other duties attracting a passive credit, including that for periods of personal leave no deduction from sick leave occurs.
Next Steps
Qantas has indicated that further reserved vacancies processes may occur in the next training year, to manage the exit of B737s and introduction of further A320.
However, any reserved vacancy process is entirely at Qantas discretion, and the EA does not require the Company to manage a surplus on the B737 using this mechanism.
Questions and Feedback
If you have any questions or further feedback, please contact your AFAP Qantas Pilot Council representatives at qpc@afap.org.au, or the AFAP Legal and Industrial team, Senior Legal/Industrial Officer Patrick Larkins – patrick@afap.org.au, Senior Legal/Industrial Officer Deanna Cain – deanna@afap.org.au, Executive Director Simon Lutton – simon@afap.org.au.
Regards,
Qantas Pilot Council - Short Haul Representatives
Josh Chalmers
Rob Close
Chantaine Gervais
Phil Karjewski