‘Zero details’ as aviation aid package flies by the seat of its pants

An aviation support package has proven to be light on key details such as who will get a weekly allowance when JobKeeper ends and how much it will be.

Qantas crew are still awaiting key details around an aviation support package to tide them through until international flying resumes. Picture: Liam Kidston

Key details of the federal government’s aviation support package are still being worked out, including the amount to be paid to international crew members when JobKeeper ends.

The Prime Minister announced the $1.2bn package last Thursday, highlighting a massive half-price airfare offer to stimulate domestic travel, and ongoing ­financial help so airlines can retain stood-down workers.

But a question-and-answer memo sent to Qantas employees revealed much detail around the international aviation support was yet to be finalised, including who was eligible. According to the memo, Qantas international employees could expect a weekly payment from the time JobKeeper ended on March 28, until overseas flying resumed in late October.

The amount of the payment was unknown however, and Qantas was still awaiting details from the government on who among its 7500-strong international workforce would qualify for the allowance.

“At a high-level, we understand the capability fund is designed to assist Qantas Group employees who primarily support our international flying and are impacted by stand-down and international border closures,” said the memo. “This is likely to include eligible flight and cabin crew, engineers, airport, lounges and support employees whose role is primarily related to the international operation or fleet types.”

Other airlines with Australian-based international crew, such as Cathay Pacific, are also believed to be seeking more information from the federal government about their eligibility.

In the case of the Hong Kong-based carrier, about 120 Australian pilots were recently told by their employer they would receive no more pay after March 28, in response to the end of JobKeeper.

Australian and International Pilots Association president Murray Butt said he was expecting more information about the weekly allowance by the end of this week.

Flight Attendants Association of Australia national secretary Teri O’Toole said the lack of detail was creating more anxiety for members already unsure of how they would make ends meet when JobKeeper ended in less than a fortnight.

“The package has been announced but we have no clarity,” said Ms O’Toole.

“We don’t know if the allowance is just for training or something else. No one knows what’s going to happen and are they going to be paid.”

She said it was critical to ensure cabin crew were fully trained and ready to go, which meant refreshing emergency procedures training every six months.

“Without JobKeeper, Qantas have to pay the crew to come and do the training, and pay the instructors. It’s an expensive exercise,” Ms O’Toole said.

Transport Workers Union national secretary Michael Kaine shared the concerns about the lack of detail, and the effect that had on employees who had already been stood down for a year.

He said as well as the uncertainty around international flying, the memo made it clear that it would be some months before Qantas’s domestic flight schedule would look “anything like normal”. The memo forecast Qantas and Jetstar would reach 80 per cent of pre-COVID domestic levels by the middle of this year.

Mr Kaine said the stress facing aviation workers was extreme.

“We had a gimmicky public stunt about cheap flights and support for international aviation workers but this memo proves this support has been worked out with zero details,” Mr Kaine said.