it is VARA just the aircraft are on the VA AOC working on VARA conditions therefore the crew are VARA crew operating VA aircraft. I think that's how it is at Cobham? Cobham crew operating QLink 717 aircraft.
No, not really. Cobham is its own company and not by the Qantas group. It operates the Q Jet flights under its own AOC. The aircraft are registered as operating under the national jet AOC, but owned by Qantas. Cobham employs its own pilots.
VARA for starters IS owned by VAH. VAH operates the ATR under its own AOC, and the aircraft are registered as operating under the VAA AOC. The VARA CEO is not responsible for the ATR operation at all, the VAA CEO is. I also know that current successful applicants are getting employment contracts that don't mention VARA, only VAA.
My understanding is that when Skywest folded and VAH bought the company, they created VARA. Then as part of their restructuring they have moved the ATR operation away from VARA under the VAA banner.
The ATR pilots are still paid in accordance with the VARA EBA which came into force in 2015, however it expires on the 1/7/2018 but it has a clause in it that can be initiated for when the ATR moves over to the VAA AOC. I don't know if this has happened or not yet, I imagine that with agreement, the current EBA could probably remain in force until the new EBA is negotiated for 2018. As a result, given that every pilot on the ATR has a GDOJ number, I don't know how they will be able to enforce the 10% rule if it doesn't also apply to the other fleets such as VANZ or Tiger.