During a hearing, Matthew Bouttell, who oversees regulatory oversight for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), discussed concerns raised by pilots and shared findings from a Transport Workers Union (TWU) survey involving 180 pilots out of approximately 1,000 employed by the airline. The survey revealed that 85% of respondents felt that the rostering system impacted their fatigue management.
By J Prakash
Bouttell, along with other leaders at CASA, clarified that while strict regulations exist regarding maximum shift lengths and minimum recovery periods for smaller air operators, established airlines like Virgin have customized fatigue risk management systems. These systems, approved by CASA, sometimes allow for longer working days due to various mitigating factors. Nevertheless, Bouttell acknowledged that CASA believed Virgin's rostering practices were approaching the fatigue limits set by the agency.
Bouttell also mentioned that, during a recent 28-day roster period, 45 pilots withdrew from duty due to fatigue, representing nearly 5% of the pilot workforce at the budget airline. He highlighted that pilot reporting fatigue and opting out of shifts demonstrated the effectiveness of the airline’s fatigue risk management system.
Pip Spence, Chief Executive of CASA, stated that the regulator is actively working with Virgin Australia to ensure that safety protocols and scheduled duty hours remain aligned with regulations. Spence emphasized the importance of system-wide support for safe outcomes rather than relying on individual efforts. She confirmed that a review of Virgin’s fatigue management system is planned within the next 12 to 18 months.
Currently, under the existing agreement for Virgin pilots, which expires at the end of June 2024, pilots are entitled to 12 days off in every 28-day roster period, amounting to 13 periods annually. Virgin Australia has proposed reducing days off to 11 for six of these 13 periods. The TWU survey indicated that 93% of the pilots surveyed plan to vote against the proposed agreement, and 88% are particularly dissatisfied with the reduction in days off.
The proposed agreement, which has been negotiated with the Australian Federation of Air Pilots, a union representing most Virgin pilots, includes a pay increase of 9.38% in the first year, followed by a 3% increase in the second and third years, in exchange for the reduction in days off.
Add comment
Comments