Foreign pilots will be allowed entry into Australia
on two-year work visas to fix a growing national shortage that is
seeing planes grounded and flights cancelled.
The
move has been questioned by Qantas pilots who have raised doubt over
the quality of pilots likely to be recruited in regional areas.
“The
United States and China are paying huge money and that doesn’t leave
much for the sort of wages they are paying in regional Australia,”
Murray Butt, president of the Australian and
International Pilots
Association, which represents more than 2000 Qantas pilots, told News
Corp.
“We
need to look at the Chinese airlines buying up flight schools in
Australia. That might fix their problem but it doesn’t fix ours.”
However,
the peak body for regional airlines has claimed the move by the Home
Affairs Minister Peter Dutton was made after their own lobbying efforts.
Mike
Higgins, CEO of the Regional Aviation Association of Australia, told
News Corp the government had advised that the decision would be
confirmed in a revised skilled occupation list — replacing the former
457 visa regime — to be released next month.
He also said the association is talking with the Minister about extending the visa period to four years.
Qantas
pilots are wanting a government white paper to address declining output
of Australian flying skills, describing the move to bring in foreign
pilots as a “very short-term fix”.
The lack of
pilots is a result of poaching of major airline pilots by overseas
airlines and increasing foreign ownership of pilot training skills.
The problem is already being felt with Qantas forced to cancel a number of its regional services.
Article taken from 9News
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