Amid a strike taking place among aviation company FlySafair pilots, the company notes that, while operations continued largely as scheduled on July 21, some of the airline’s flights have had to be cancelled.

FlySafair explains that these flights were assigned to pilots who had confirmed their availability to fly, but who late on Sunday, reported that they would not fly.

The company says all other flights are operating as planned, and affected customers have been contacted directly using details provided at the time of booking. Should there be further disruptions, FlySafair says customers will be notified promptly.

“We thank our teams both on the aircraft and on the ground for their tireless commitment and hard work to ensure that disruptions are minimised as far as possible.

“While FlySafair has opted not to publicly share the full details of current offers out of discretion toward our pilot team, we believe it is important – particularly given recent public commentary – to outline some key facts that clarify the company’s position and the business realities we face,” the company notes in a media release.

The company points out that its captains earn between R1.8-million and R2.3-million a year, which it says places them well within the top 1% of earners in South Africa.

FlySafair argues that its pilots earn more than members of its executive committee, noting that these salaries are regularly benchmarked against those at other local airlines and are higher than most.

In terms of workload, FlySafair says its captains spent an average of 63 hours last month in the cockpit flying passengers, which it notes is well within regulatory limits set by the Civil Aviation Authority, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which cap flight duty at 100 hours a month.

Additional responsibilities such as training and office time are factored in, as is standby duty – where pilots must be ready to fly at short notice – which is served from home under minimal restrictions.

THE DISPUTE

FlySafair notes that the core of the current industrial action is a dispute over pay and scheduling.

The company explains that trade union Solidarity has demanded a 10.5% increase on base salaries, as well as additional flight pay and bonuses.

“While this demand is already perceived as steep, it’s important to note that when factoring in the additional demands, the total impact amounts to more than a 20% increase in overall cost to company – an unsustainable escalation for any company,” FlySafair argues.

By contrast, the company says its current offer is a 5.7% increase on base pay, which is 1.5% above inflation.

The company argues that this already substantial offer was made including other benefits – including a flight pay based bonus – which brings the total increase to 11.29% on a cost to company basis.

The company says this offer was made in “good faith” and with a view to balancing fair compensation for employees with the airline’s financial sustainability and customer affordability.

This offer was designed to balance the other 1 700 employees of the airline and the sustainability and resilience of the company with the demands of the pilots.

Additionally, FlySafair says the second area of contention is the pilot roster system implemented by the company at the start of the year.

This system, which FlySafair says is standard across the global airline industry and in force in every other airline in South Africa, allows pilots to receive their full monthly rosters by the twentieth of the preceding month, enabling personal planning and scheduling.

It also includes a preferential leave bidding process and a structured marketplace to facilitate duty swaps within regulated flight and duty limits.

The system was designed to improve operational efficiency and provide pilots with maximum flexibility.

“Attempts by Solidarity to alter or limit this system would strip away its key benefits, undermining FlySafair’s ability to compete with other airlines and maintain cost-effective operations,” the company says.

A REASONED POSITION

FlySafair says it has worked to resolve these issues constructively and transparently, noting that consultations regarding the roster started in March 2024 to address the crew’s concerns. 

However, the company posits that the demands being made are, in their current form, economically unfeasible and would erode the airline’s competitive advantage in the market.

“We have therefore had to take firm, but reasoned steps to protect the long-term viability of the business and the affordability of our fares for South African travellers,” the company says.

“We deeply regret the impact this situation is having on our loyal customers and the broader flying public. Our goal remains to reach a reasonable resolution quickly, restore trust, and continue building the airline so many South Africans rely on.

“FlySafair remains fully committed to engaging with our pilots in good faith and finding a way forward that balances fairness for our people with our responsibility to our customers and the sustainability of the business”.

Meanwhile, in a separate media release, Solidarity says the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has offered its help in terms of Section 150 of the Labour Relations Act to resolve the dispute between Solidarity and FlySafair.

Solidarity has welcomed FlySafair’s participation in the mediation process despite the airline having initially declined to do so.

“FlySafair has indicated that it is willing to start the negotiation process only by Wednesday. As a result, thousands more passengers will be affected before FlySafair comes to the table,” says Solidarity deputy general secretary of public industry Helgard Cronjé.

Solidarity notes that FlySafair has started, on July 21, to lock out its pilots for seven days, which could lead to flight disruptions.

Solidarity says this comes after 90% of FlySafair’s pilots voted in favour of a strike. The trade union says it gave notice that pilots would only be on strike for one day.

However, it argues that FlySafair “hit back” by locking out the pilots for seven days. After this, the lock-out could continue for yet another week.

“This forced Solidarity to also extend its strike notice to two weeks in line with FlySafair’s lockout notice,” the trade union says.

Solidarity says it hopes FlySafair’s agreement to participate in the mediation process will mark the beginning of real solutions – solutions that address the concerns of their pilots with genuine seriousness and that could pave the way for improved working relations in the future.

“We welcome the CCMA’s intervention. The disruption of an airline is a matter of national interest. Such disruption must be avoided. Our aim with the one-day strike notice was to get FlySafair to the negotiating table”.