extracta
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http://www.perthnow.com.au/travel/n...rice-for-hosties/story-fn30173u-1226073724931
FROM THE WEEKENDS PAPERS
The pressure to drive down costs has also left Australian crews complaining they are so fatigued they are "drunk with tiredness" and are falling asleep on the job.
And they've warned the risk of fatigue and communication difficulties with foreign crews could pose a safety risk to passengers - claims Jetstar strongly rejects.
The behind-the-scenes fallout with cheap air travel is documented in a major Senate investigation of aircraft safety, fatigue and pilot training in Australia. The Sunday Telegraph can reveal Thai cabin crew are working in Australia for base salaries of just 14,000 baht or $437 a month, rising to up to $30,000 a year with overtime and allowances.
Start of sidebar.
After hearing evidence on the practices of Qantas, Tiger Airways and other carriers, a Senate inquiry is expected to this week call for a shake up, including new focus on fatigue risks by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and an overhaul of pilot training.
The Senate inquiry has already uncovered an email warning to pilots to "Toughen Up, Princesses" over claims they are suffering fatigue.
But in an official safety complaint known as an OSCAR obtained by The Sunday Telegraph, Jetstar crew have also complained they are "drunk with tiredness", posing a safety risk to passengers.
The crew, forced to fly to Bali and to return the same day in a 15-hour marathon, complain they suffer "slurred speech and can't keep their eyes open while landing".
The safety report said: "If things don't change it is only a matter of time before people get seriously injured if not killed driving home or on board by silly mistakes."
In response, Jetstar said: "Safety is our number one priority and we have an open culture of reporting issues.
"If a member of our crew is too fatigued then they should not operate the flight and we openly communicate this."
Jetstar has defended the use of foreign-based crew as entirely legal - because the "international" flights originate from Australian cities such as Melbourne and Sydney before flying overseas.
International "tag flights" between Darwin, Cairns and Melbourne also allow foreign crew to fly domestically in Australia without the need for any special work visas.
Australian crew are paid up to $50,000 plus allowances. That compares to base rate of 14,000 baht or $437 a month for Thai crew plus "generous allowances" and $20,000 a year plus allowances for Singapore-based crew.
"Cabin crew based in a particular country are remunerated and pay tax within that country," Jetstar spokesman Simon Westaway said.
"All cabin crew on Jetstar services must demonstrate their (English) proficiency. At Jetstar, safety is our first priority.' Independent Senator Nick Xenophon urged the Gillard government to act.
"There's currently no regulation of fatigue for cabin crew, only for pilots," he said.
"And in relation to foreign crew, this is an outrageous abuse of the privilege airlines have to allow foreign crew to be on domestic flights."
WHAT JETSTAR CREW ARE PAID
THAI-BASED CREW
$437 per month base salary or $5220 a year, plus allowances
SINGAPORE-BASED CREW
$20,000 a year
AUSTRALIAN CREW
$43,000 to $50,000 a year
Jetstar says the Thai crew's 14,000 BAHT per month rate can increase to up to $30,000 a year with overtime.
FROM THE WEEKENDS PAPERS
- Jetstar's foreign cabin crew paid less
- Warnings of fatigue and communication issues
- Cheap travel forces airlines to cut costs
The pressure to drive down costs has also left Australian crews complaining they are so fatigued they are "drunk with tiredness" and are falling asleep on the job.
And they've warned the risk of fatigue and communication difficulties with foreign crews could pose a safety risk to passengers - claims Jetstar strongly rejects.
The behind-the-scenes fallout with cheap air travel is documented in a major Senate investigation of aircraft safety, fatigue and pilot training in Australia. The Sunday Telegraph can reveal Thai cabin crew are working in Australia for base salaries of just 14,000 baht or $437 a month, rising to up to $30,000 a year with overtime and allowances.
Start of sidebar.
After hearing evidence on the practices of Qantas, Tiger Airways and other carriers, a Senate inquiry is expected to this week call for a shake up, including new focus on fatigue risks by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and an overhaul of pilot training.
The Senate inquiry has already uncovered an email warning to pilots to "Toughen Up, Princesses" over claims they are suffering fatigue.
But in an official safety complaint known as an OSCAR obtained by The Sunday Telegraph, Jetstar crew have also complained they are "drunk with tiredness", posing a safety risk to passengers.
The crew, forced to fly to Bali and to return the same day in a 15-hour marathon, complain they suffer "slurred speech and can't keep their eyes open while landing".
The safety report said: "If things don't change it is only a matter of time before people get seriously injured if not killed driving home or on board by silly mistakes."
In response, Jetstar said: "Safety is our number one priority and we have an open culture of reporting issues.
"If a member of our crew is too fatigued then they should not operate the flight and we openly communicate this."
Jetstar has defended the use of foreign-based crew as entirely legal - because the "international" flights originate from Australian cities such as Melbourne and Sydney before flying overseas.
International "tag flights" between Darwin, Cairns and Melbourne also allow foreign crew to fly domestically in Australia without the need for any special work visas.
Australian crew are paid up to $50,000 plus allowances. That compares to base rate of 14,000 baht or $437 a month for Thai crew plus "generous allowances" and $20,000 a year plus allowances for Singapore-based crew.
"Cabin crew based in a particular country are remunerated and pay tax within that country," Jetstar spokesman Simon Westaway said.
"All cabin crew on Jetstar services must demonstrate their (English) proficiency. At Jetstar, safety is our first priority.' Independent Senator Nick Xenophon urged the Gillard government to act.
"There's currently no regulation of fatigue for cabin crew, only for pilots," he said.
"And in relation to foreign crew, this is an outrageous abuse of the privilege airlines have to allow foreign crew to be on domestic flights."
WHAT JETSTAR CREW ARE PAID
THAI-BASED CREW
$437 per month base salary or $5220 a year, plus allowances
SINGAPORE-BASED CREW
$20,000 a year
AUSTRALIAN CREW
$43,000 to $50,000 a year
Jetstar says the Thai crew's 14,000 BAHT per month rate can increase to up to $30,000 a year with overtime.
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