Volotea, the Airline That Cares - part 1
"Volotea Times – News from and for the Volotea Family" is the title of the monthly newsletter that Volotea employees receive. It typically includes an editorial from a senior executive, a section related to the company's values, performance statistics, internal and external news, photos of "Voloteans" in action, and more. In short, it is an internal newsletter. Like any newsletter, it is filled with self-congratulation and generous praise: "you are amazing," "thank you," "nothing is possible without you," and other commendations distributed to all the employees of the company, including crew members, engineers, managers, support staff, and administrators. Inevitably, the impression given is that of a human-centered company that cares about its employees and is mindful of its social and environmental impact. This sentiment is reinforced by other internal communication actions, such as "breakfast with management" meetings, visits by executives to Volotea bases to meet employees, and occasional initiatives. Our CEO even states that the company is like a child to him.
In daily operations, particularly during flights, there is generally a sense of closeness among the crews. The bases are usually small, and everyone gets to know each other quickly. The average age is relatively low, or even very low if we consider only the cabin crew or first officers. The atmosphere is generally good, relaxed, and supportive, despite the operational challenges of the company, which generate pressure, stress, and frequent technical issues.
However, the "family" aspect of Volotea ends there. The company's unflattering social ranking (39th) within the European Cockpit Association and its designation as a "Social Snail" are already indicators that the family metaphor may not be entirely appropriate.
What follows is a summary and analysis of the working conditions of the company's pilots. Like any analysis, it is limited by the analysts’ knowledge and biases and will inevitably require critique. Additionally, due to these limitations, the summary and analysis unfortunately cannot cover the working conditions of the cabin crew, which are undeniably even worse than those of their pilot colleagues.
Pay Peanuts
At Volotea, it is no secret that crew members are poorly paid. In the French branch of the company, pilots' remuneration is predominantly based on the number of flight hours flown, with no consideration for time spent on the ground. The base remuneration is 50 guaranteed flight hours per month (Volotea had attempted to reduce this number, but recently lost a case before the Administrative Supreme Court on this issue). There are then two thresholds for flight hours, which, once exceeded, add variable components to the remuneration. The first threshold starts at 50 hours, and the second at 67 hours (which are considered overtime). Remuneration is then supplemented by various allowances (per diem, standby, layover, etc.). Salaries are therefore highly variable, with differences of almost 100% between months with little flying (<50 hours) and months with lots of flying (>80 hours).
It is also important to note that the final remuneration is not calculated based on the actual amount of hours flown but is derived from average flight times calculated for each sector operated by the crew member. The basis for calculating these averages is not communicated to the crews, and it is common to have discrepancies between actual activity and what is ultimately recorded. Over a year, this can easily amount to a loss of several hundred euros in gross remuneration.
Simulator hours are not counted as flight hours, nor are they subject to specific remuneration, except when sparring. Time spent on positioning is also not taken into account, even if it can be disproportionate compared to the hours actually flown (e.g., 3 hours sitting in a taxi, followed by a 1.5 hours ferry flight, then two flights dead heading to return to base). Additionally, all the time devoted to recurrent training is not remunerated, whether it is conducted via LMS or in-person.
Furthermore, the guaranteed minimum salary was not adjusted pro rata in the event of leave till 1st January of this year. Before 2026, a pilot had therefore to consider that taking vacation would result in a loss of income.
Moreover, as previously mentioned, time spent on the ground is not taken into account. Thus, flight preparation, time lost on the ground due to technical problems, delays, slots, or other issues are not taken into account. This allows the company to advance the check-in times of its crews at no cost, in case of ATC strikes or to anticipate de-icing operations, for example.
Finally, at Volotea, there is no automatic adjustment for inflation, nor is there a 13th-month salary, vacation bonus, or performance-related bonus or profit-sharing. Bonuses are, however, provided to reward seniority from the third season onward and for each of the seven stages ("gates") of the upgrade process.
Below is the salary grid for France (gross):
+-------------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| Category (Block Hours) | CP1 (60) | CP2 (50) | CP3 (50) | CP4 (50) | CP5 (50) | SFO (50) | FO1 (50) | FO2 (50) | SO1 (50) | SO2 (50) |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| Base salary | 8,640 | 6,450 | 5,980 | 5,559 | 4,747 | 2,750 | 2,400 | 2,098 | 1,799* | 1,543* |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| <67 hours (€/h) | 144 | 129 | 120 | 111 | 95 | 55 | 48 | 42 | 36* | 31* |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| >67 hours (€/h) | 180 | 161 | 149 | 139 | 119 | 69 | 60 | 52 | 45* | 39* |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| Per diem flight <67 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 30 | 30 |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| Per diem flight >67 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 39 | 39 |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| Other perdiem (Per diem) | 53 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 30 | 30 |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| Lay over | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| Standby | 105 | 105 | 105 | 105 | 105 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| Airport Standby (ASBY) | 220 | 220 | 220 | 220 | 220 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| Plus Duty Pilot | 210 | 210 | 210 | 210 | 210 | | | | | |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| Plus Line Training (LTC) | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | | | | | |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| Plus Simulator Training 1 (TRE/TRI) | 105 | 105 | 105 | 105 | 105 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| Plus Simulator Training 2 (TRE/TRI) | 131 | 131 | 131 | 131 | 131 | 125 | 125 | 125 | 125 | 125 |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| Plus Virtual PT – VPT | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| Plus Ground Training (IET) | 165 | 165 | 165 | 165 | 165 | 160 | 160 | 160 | 160 | 160 |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| Roster Change 5-4 days | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| Roster Change 0-3 days | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| Cultural Ambassador (ACV) | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| Aircraft Visit (ACV) | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| Sparring CRM | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| Sparring Simulator (SSI) | 150 | 150 | 150 | 150 | 150 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| Temporary Crew Meal | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
| Ticket Restaurant (>6hb) | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
Pluses & Additional Concepts
+-------------------------------+----------+----------------+
| Flight OPS Magazine Plus | €250 | a month |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------------+
| Plus Head of CRM | €500 | a month |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------------+
| Plus Base Training (BT) | €300 | Per Unit |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------------+
| Plus Documentation | €300 | a month |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------------+
| Uniform Cleaning | €10 | a month |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------------+
| Goodwill | €300 | Per Unit |
+-------------------------------+----------+----------------+
*The official salary grid has not been updated since March 2024. These figures are an estimate following the salary revaluation of SO1 & SO2 crews effective from July 1st, 2025.
Captains progression within the salary grid depends on their seniority (one year for the first level, then two additional years for each subsequent level), that of co-pilots is based on experience according to the following table:
+----------------+----------------+---------------------+-------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
| FROM 01MARCH24 | MIN BH ON TYPE | MIN TOTAL BH | MIN TOTAL FACTORIZED BH | Notes |
+----------------+----------------+---------------------+-------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
| SO2 | SO1 | 250.00 | No requirement | No requirement | Only 1 condition must be fulfilled |
+----------------+----------------+---------------------+-------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
| SO1 | FO2 | 500.00 | 750.00 | No requirement | Both conditions must be fulfilled |
+----------------+----------------+---------------------+-------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
| FO2 | FO1 | - | 1750.00 | 1750.00 | Both conditions must be fulfilled |
+----------------+----------------+---------------------+-------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
| FO1 | SFO | - | 2750.00 | 2750.00 | Both conditions must be fulfilled |
+----------------+----------------+---------------------+-------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
| SFO | CP5 | 1000.00 | - | 3000.00 | 3000 hr minimum factorized to complete upgrade program|
+----------------+----------------+---------------------+-------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
Note: "Factorized BH" (Block Hours) are flight hours weighted according to the types or models of aircraft on which they were flown (SEP, MEP, turboprop, A320, etc.) and the onboard function (SIC/PIC). Only hours flown with Volotea are counted at a 1:1 ratio.
From the figures and explanations above, the following comparisons can be made:
- The minimum wage in France is €1,801.80 gross (at the time of writing), which is €2 more than the second co-pilot level at Volotea (SO1).
- A Volotea FO is, on average, paid less than a cabin crew member from competing airlines.
- A Volotea captain is paid less than an FO from competing airlines.
- A Volotea CP1 captain is paid the same as a short-haul FO from a legacy airline.
Get Monkeys
Due to the low base salary and the strong correlation between flight hours and remuneration, pilots have every incentive to fly as much as possible to achieve the highest possible salary, especially since they need to anticipate lean months. In practice, this leads to behaviors that, at best, go against the company's interests or, at worst, compromise flight safety.
Monkeys Working Together
Since remuneration largely depends on the average flight hours recorded by the company for each sector operated—and the calculation basis for this average is not communicated—pilots have every incentive to ensure their flight times are as high as possible.
In practice, this results in strategies to artificially increase flight hours. For example:
- Deliberately slow taxiing.
- Refusing takeoff from a runway intersection.
- "Forgetting" to insert the cruise cost index.
- Flying published approachs entirely
The actual impact of these strategies on crew remuneration remains to be demonstrated. However, they have a direct cumulative effect on the progression of FOs, whose advancement in the salary grid depends on the actual flight hours completed.
Cognitive Dissonance
The company's chosen remuneration model also contradicts the "Green Policies" implemented to reduce its environmental impact.
Volotea imposes measures to shorten flight times (mainly through requests for shortcuts, cost index adjustments, and visual approach requests) as part of these policies.
As part of these fuel-saving efforts, the company uses a dedicated software (Flyguide) that calculates appropriate speeds and cost indices for each flight phase and rates the fuel-saving performance of crews.
However, there is no financial incentive to encourage performance. Pilots must balance their desire for efficiency with their remuneration needs.
The Battle for Hours
Once the next month's roster is published, everyone becomes aware of his or her planned flight hours. A constant struggle then ensues to maintain the initially planned activity level.
Volotea's schedule is generally unstable, or even very unstable when the situation deteriorates (AOG situations, no anticipation of training needs, illness, etc.). These schedule changes often mean a loss of flight hours and, therefore, a loss of income. Some months, pilots can see their flight hours drop by 20 hours. The phenomenon is so common that part of the management considers it a fact of life that should not be challenged. However, a reduction from 85 to 78 hours implies a loss between €273 gross for an SO2 and up to €1,260 gross for a CP1, not counting any lost per diems.
This permanent instability and loss of flight hours generate frustration and dissatisfaction among pilots. This leads to sometimes heated phone calls and emails to pilot roster, crew control, and base captains to try to refuse changes and/or recover hours. Unfortunately, pilots rarely win these disputes.
Yet, our OM-A and a collective agreement govern schedule changes. However, this agreement does not require the company to compensate for lost hours, either through reallocation of flight hours or financial compensation. Worse, the agreement simply does not address the issue of reduced flight hours following schedule changes.
The main purpose of this collective agreement is elsewhere: it defines and governs "significant" schedule changes.
Briefly, a change is significant if it involves a start of duty 4 hours earlier than initially planned or an end of duty 4 hours later than initially planned. A significant change triggers a bonus of €100 if it occurs between 0 and 3 days before the date concerned, €50 between 4 and 5 days, and no bonus beyond that.
Pilots cannot refuse a significant change if it occurs more than 3 days before the start of duty.
In the case of a significant change up to 3 days before the start of duty, the company must specify whether this change is due to an external cause (absenteeism over 5%, external strike, force majeure) or an internal cause (any other cause not falling under the definition of external cause). If the change is due to an external cause, the pilot can only refuse for a compelling personal reason (childcare, specialist appointment, etc.). If the change is due to an internal cause, the pilot can refuse the change at his/her discretion.
Despite the limited scope of the collective agreement and conditions that favor the company, abuses persist. This can take the form of an "error" by Crew Control regarding the distinction between internal and external causes when the change is notified, or making a schedule change seem inevitable when it could be refused by the pilot.
It can also be the lack of notification that a change qualifies as significant (the planning application used, eCrew, does not allow comparing duties before and after modification, unless pilots anticipate and take screenshots when the roster is published).
It is also simply crew members’ lack of information. The high turnover of crews means that new recruits are "ignorant victims" who do not yet have sufficient knowledge of the company's operations to challenge certain things imposed to them, especially since the mechanisms described above are far from intuitive (note that the PowerPoint summarizing the collective agreement is 16 slides long, while the agreement itself is 18 pages, including 4 pages of appendices...).
Add to this an OM.A.07 with convoluted wording and contradictions between the English and Spanish versions, and the company has a formidable tool to mislead its crews. For example, a pilot on standby who is activated for a layover the same evening can refuse this activation because it significantly impacts their fatigue management. However, to understand that this refusal is possible, it is necessary to cross-reference and interpret one line of OM.A.07 with another line... seven pages later.
Finally, there are schedule changes that are not significant or are initiated more than 5 days before their effective date but still involve schedule changes, last-minute adjustments, and potential reductions in flight hours.
Some examples of these schedule changes:
- Replacing a day of flying with a standby or a reserve (a kind of unpaid standby that can only be triggered during the previous duty period + 20min).
- Exchanging rotations on the same day.
- Replacing three days of flying to allow for one day of positioning, one day of flying from another base, and one day of return positioning.
- Rescheduling simulator sessions outside the base and replacing the initially planned simulator dates with standby or reserve.
In these cases, pilots have no official mechanism to try to refuse a change that does not suit them.
Worse, when crews demand changes they are entitled to but which do not suit the company, they sometimes face dissimulated retaliatory measures, mainly the removal of flight hours.
Pilots' frustration is further fueled by the fact that very little justification is provided to explain the reasons behind schedule changes. The "memos" accompanying schedule changes contain vague and unverifiable indications: "training needs," "operational constraints," "change due to balance of BH," "change due to uncovered flight," or "change due to roster management needs." But often, there is simply no explanation.