Pilot Union Says Qantas Short Haul Enterprise Agreement a Mixed Bag

The Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) say undertakings provided by Qantas will improve work conditions for short-haul pilots, including pay increases for some. The union is currently ironing out the details in an enterprise agreement with Qantas.

“While we believe the final agreement could have gone further in several areas, and we remain concerned about the medium to long-term implications of some amendments, we are pleased it delivers progress on key elements drawn from extensive member feedback and surveys,” reads a May 8 AFAP update to members.

On March 2025 7, Qantas applied to the Fair Work Commission for approval of the Qantas Airways Limited Pilots (Short Haul) Enterprise Agreement 2024 (EBA9), which covers pilots employed by Qantas in its short-haul operations who are members or eligible to be members, of the Australian and International Pilots Association.

The AFAP did not support the approval of the enterprise agreement for two reasons. Firstly, the dispute resolution procedure in the enterprise agreement does not meet the requirements of s 186(6) of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth). Secondly, first officers under training would not be better off over all under the enterprise agreement compared to the Air Pilots Award 2020.

“While the outcome is mixed, it represents a significant step forward in our ongoing efforts to defend and advance the rights and standards of Qantas pilots and the standards of our profession,” says the AFAP statement.

The Fair Work Commission accepted a technical argument from Qantas regarding first officer training pay. This change reduces minimum pay for licensed, professional pilots in training and strips away some entitlements such as rostering rules, indemnity protections, and loss-of-licence reimbursement. AFAP says it is “exploring options” to address this.

On the flipside, AFAP secured the right to bring disputes in its own name rather than only on behalf of individual members. This improves the union’s collective voice and ability to act quickly and effectively on behalf of all members.

AFAP is critical of Qantas, saying it is responsible for the delay in the approval process by refusing to adopt its suggested undertaking. “The AFAP has repeatedly requested that Qantas act in good faith by implementing the pay rises immediately and back-paying pilots for the delay,” the union’s statement says.

 “This situation is particularly disappointing, given Qantas’ public statements about improving engagement and relations with pilots. Senior management has acknowledged that there has been a significant erosion of trust with pilots, due in part to previous industrial tactics employed by the company. Despite this, Qantas’ actions have not aligned with their stated goals.”