Stranded Rex passengers prompt action - Reserve pilots for all flights on roster
After 30 passengers on a Rex flight from Sydney to Dubbo were left stranded because a pilot called in sick and no reserve pilot was available, the company yesterday promised reserve pilots would be available for all flights from next Monday.
Managing director Jim Davis said more pilots had become available after air routes from Melbourne to Griffith were cut last week, making it possible to maintain reserve pilots for each flight.
“By cutting some of our newer services and recruiting more pilots in the last few months we will have reserve pilots for each flight on the new roster starting Monday,” he said.
“By forgoing the revenue from the cancelled flights to Griffith we are actually spending money to make sure we have reserve pilots.”
Mr Davis claimed the number of active pilots employed by Rex had increased by 10 per cent since October last year.
“This is quite a significant increase considering Australia is experiencing an acute shortage of pilots,” he said.
“Late last year we were terribly short of pilots, now we are slowly recovering our numbers.”
Rex currently employs 212 active pilots but has a target of 240 pilots still to meet.
These pilots work five days a week, one of which is a reserve day.
“In the last few months our pilots haven’t had a day off. They are normally always called in to work on their reserve days which wouldn’t have happened a few years ago,” Mr Davis said.
“We will reach our target soon but at the moment those pilots are in flight school or simulation training.”
Mr Davis said the worldwide shortage of pilots would continue to decimate regional airlines.
“We understand that pilots use regional airlines as a training ground but the drop in available pilots has never been so dramatic,” he said.
“As the larger Australian airlines expand they need more pilots and we can’t compete with the salaries they can offer. Obviously pilots make more money flying a plane of 300 people than they do flying 30 people.
“Lately even the larger airlines have been losing pilots to international
companies so there is a real drain of pilots from Australia at the moment.
“The next few years will be extremely hard on Australian airlines.”
Rex is attempting to halt the pilot drain by training their own pilots in their own pilot school.
“Our cadet program lasts eight months and anyone can apply,” he said.
“Anyone interested in becoming a pilot can apply for our pilot cadet program through the Rex website www.rex.com.au”.
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