Virgin Australia pilots have overwhelmingly voted in favour of a new enterprise agreement that delivers substantial improvements to their pay and working conditions, following 15 months of complex negotiations led by the Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP).
1176 Virgin Australia B737 pilots were eligible to vote with 1152 voting and of those 859 voted (75%) in favour of the deal.
The new agreement guarantees a 35% base salary increase in the first year, followed by 3% annual increases and includes industry-leading lifestyle and fatigue protections. The agreement has been strongly endorsed by the pilot group, representing a major step forward in securing their long term financial and professional stability.
AFAP Executive Director Simon Lutton, hailed the outcome as a significant achievement for Virgin pilots:
“This agreement is an excellent package that delivers significantly higher salaries and reinforces Virgin pilots' standing with industry-leading conditions. After extensive and detailed negotiations, we are proud to have secured a deal that was strongly supported by pilots and will provide them with certainty for the next three years."
The deal, which builds on the initial offer rejected by pilots in June, underscores the AFAP’s commitment to achieving tangible improvements in remuneration and working conditions for its members.
“The AFAP has secured a remuneration package that not only places pilots in a better financial position than they were pre-pandemic, but also retains and improves upon the lifestyle protections that set Virgin pilots apart from their competitors," said Mr Lutton.
"We are pleased that the aspirations of the majority of pilots have been delivered upon without the need for industrial disputation.”
“This is a testament to the hard work and resilience of our AFAP negotiators."
The AFAP represents more than 5500 commercial pilots in Australia and has negotiated every enterprise agreement at Virgin Australia since the airline commenced operations in 2000.