Middle East, Australian base.
 

So a couple of days ago I was contacted by a recruiting department on behalf of a well known Middle Eastern carrier, by telephone, Conversation was reference a COVID times CV that I sent off and I thought it interesting that reference was made to the very likely possibility of an Australian base. I’m employed outside of flying these days so I cut the call short and continued preparing flowers in our florist store. The afternoon rolled by and I got to thinking……

Anyone get a call like this? Was it a prank?

ps.The 14th is only around the corner, don’t forget the flowers😀

Don’t be shy, which Company?

You should be in Marketing, that was the best advertisement for a Florist that I’ve seen lately. Excellent work😉👍🌹.

Rumours that it could be Emirates, a base would be an option similar to Cathay years ago. Reverse rostering could work as well with trips starting and ending in Australia and a hotel room provided in Dubai.

If it’s true and does happen, in my opinion it’ll be the catalyst to finally tip the pilot shortage over the edge of the cliff here in Australia. Here’s hoping

Have heard the same, interesting.

It appears to be very true. “Sooner rather than later” seems to be the feeling.
Have spoken with 2 colleagues now working in the UAE and there is much excitement among the expatriate community with prospects of returning home.
Big plans apparently with several bases outside of UAE, Aus the largest.
Exciting times.💪💪

It would go against every previous ME carrier hiring policy. Even if this did become a reality I would imagine first choice for Australian bases would be given to already employed pilots.

Are the hiring policies currently providing enough crew?

Wouldnt that reduce the efficacy of the policy? Ie why fill it up with pilots you already have access to if your goal is to get more pilots flying your metal? I think a more likely strategy would be to drip feed the ME based Ausi’s home at juuuuust the right rate to keep them onboard while still attracting Rex, Bonza, Jetstar and Virgin pilots to join up. I’d say two newbies for every Australian who moves back from the desert.
I suspect this is driven by the competition for ME pilots with RX starting up. They have 39 787’s on order and I doubt they’ll be short of cash.

Of what calibre is probably the question to ask.

It will put VA and JQ under enormous pressure if they seriously recruit domestically.

It's a considerable benefit to the airline as well, no more housing, school fees and medical coverage. Just a hotel room when passing through. Crew turnover will plummet and they will attract people who weren't willing to live in the desert full time.

No doubt about that at all. Its just lucky that the corporate types at our main Airlines have made a concerted effort post-Covid to ensure all their pilots feel valued and reap the benefits of the incredible demand for air travel that has seen ticket prices soar. If they had continued on as if the market for pilots hadn’t changed they would really struggle in 2025 to maintain their schedules let alone enact their plans to increase market-share through expansion. Phew!

As long as they think carefully about Australian Long Service Leave entitlements, which will accrue from the date you joined your ME airline (even if they set up a separate company for based crew) - Cathay got badly bitten by this when setting up Australian bases.

gold.

Sir please refrain from exhausting the full month's supply of sarcasm in one post. Leave some for the rest of us. :D

Yeah. The point I was making was that, sensible organisations that they are, they will only maintain their stance against commuting until they have to start parking aeroplanes. Sadly that level of pragmatism doesn’t seem to exist amongst Australian employers

I’m sure the ATO will welcome this initiative….

Check the definition of an Australian tax resident before making a decision to base in Australia, as the tax free salary may in fact be taxed at nearly 50% :}

I was just about to say the same thing.

I have a good mate who was working in tech field in the US and was able to head the expansion back here to move home.
He outsourced all the HR stuff and employment stuff at the start to just focus on the tech side. Soon after he gets an irate call from the American boss ranting about “they get 4 weeks leave in Oz that’s insane and what’s this f$&@#% long service leave crap, tell me it’s a joke!”

Really? What rules apply that stop you paying the same tax rates as any other Australian national? I know you don’t get the tax free threshold as a foreigner working here, but have never heard of foreign income being treated differently. Asking out of genuine curiosity, no malice intended

I think what he’s getting at, is that unlike the tax free salary you’d get in Dubai, if you lived in Australia it’s suddenly not tax free, and you would be paying 47% tax on it (as you’re most likely going to be in the top tax bracket), making it not worth as much in the hand anymore.

IF this did happen (I still think it’s a little too early for April Fools), I’d suggest that there’d be a much different package than what’s on offer in Dubai.

Steady on, 47%. That is merely the top rate which kicks in above $180k. A 300k pa salary would surrender around 35c in the dollar before Medicare.

And the Muscat refueller says it’s not EK.

Alright, I was simplifying it for arguments sake. You’re right, approx 35 cents per dollar.

it's the goat 🐐

Negative gearing and novated car leases lessen the tax burden a bit. Paying 30% odd might be worth it for a life at home and continuing to stay married.

China Southern offered reverse rostering pre COVID which was a huge incentive compared to living in the PRC.

Maybe the original poster included GST, fuel excise, stamp duty, sin taxes (booze, tobacco, etc) etc in which case 50% might actually be close to the mark. I personally would rather pay these taxes than live in the ME but I get that it might be a factor in some people’s decisions.

I’m talking about the marginal income tax rate for someone on 300K or more p/a.

https://www.ato.gov.au/tax-rates-and...lian-residents

Foreign income is definitely used to calculate an Australian tax resident’s marginal income tax rate, regardless of what tax rate one is charged offshore.

Best seek advice from a good tax advisor. I speak from a bad experience with regards to this issue.

This went from a rumour to a tax conundrum in record pace.

If it’s enough to simply pay the Australian taxes on like any other income, then it’s enough. If you have to start thinking about whether or not you’re a tax resident or not it’s a giant pain in the bum that probably won’t work. I suspect the salary will be tailored to ensure you can sit in Manly, pay your 35% , and still feel good about life.

Sounds like a great way to recruit suckers only to have to close the base due to ‘efficiencies’ or ‘change in business circumstances’ not much later with the condition of ‘if you want to keep your job, it’s now based in …….’

would you really trust them enough to not have that concern resting on your shoulders?

Even if it does happen, employment will most likely be on a specific Australian base contract through an entity set up specifically for hiring crew in Australia. You cannot maintain a non-resident tax status and be an Australian-based crew.

Anyway, I'll believe it when I see it. Hopefully, it does happen and shakes up the great Australian employers to pay a wage commensurate with experience and skill. However, the C-suite in Australia is a toxic gas and would rather shut down the industry than improve T & C's, but I digress.

Do you know if that's how it worked at china Southern etc? Makes sense.
This is very in interesting, but if (big if) this is true, I think the numbers of crew applying at JQ, VA, and all the other QF subsidiary's will be huge. It has the potential to really shake things up. They will have no problem crewing the entire operation and then some just on Australian pilots let alone other bases.
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Not really at China Southern, but it was how CX did it back in the day. China Southern was reverse-scheduling port vs. CX's Australian base. Given Middle East promises are about as reliable as Philip Lowe's interest rate predictions, I'd be careful signing up for a reverse schedule by any of the ME3.

As far as tax, my understanding is that CSA pilots were still liable for Aus tax, but their salaries are net of Chinese tax. Therefore, with the Chinese-Australian tax treaty, you would give the ATO a certificate from China stating the tax paid and eliminate a double tax.

It would be good if the original poster would say which company called them. I know QR are losing crew to Riyadh with the 2on/2off deal, so my bet would be on them. I don't see EK doing it because everyone loves Dubai.

Anyway, it is all speculation, and I have no idea how it will be managed if and when it comes about.

If it places Australian companies under pressure to keep pilots then it can’t come quick enough. Hope it materialises and is not just a rumour.

Still waiting on the link to order the flowers!

Do they have a B scale?

Asking for a friend…

Argh, The Florist, making your own arrangements.

Roses please!

Could be true. Local Australian pilots have a cheap mindset and are slaves to a mortgage. A sound industrial move by the former slave traders to secure human capital.

Mate have a look at how many bases the Qantas Group has closed in the last 5 years. For someone who has a life and family in Perth, Cairns, Darwin ect. and then has a Qantas ‘manager’ close that base and get told to move to MEL or ADL it’s really no different to being told to move to the ME (ie: your going to tell them to stick it).