Big trouble for flight prices in South Africa

South Africa’s aviation industry is struggling to retain talent in two key areas — piloting and air navigation control — which could ultimately result in much higher local flight ticket prices.

Trade union Solidarity recently warned it was entering salary negotiations with FlySafair — South Africa’s biggest domestic carrier — with the aim of limiting an exodus of the airline’s skilled personnel.

“These negotiations are of critical importance as several factors are forcing pilots to consider other job opportunities,” said Solidarity network organiser for the aviation industry, Remón Viviers.

FlySafair pilots are seeking a 15.7% increase, while the airline has offered a 9.47% hike.

In addition to securing competitive salaries for FlySafair pilots, the union is also negotiating for improved working conditions and general well-being.

Viviers said concerns over these issues stem from a new rostering system that has had a significant negative impact on pilots’ quality of life.

He said the changes have caused great dissatisfaction among pilots who are Solidarity members.

“If this issue is not addressed urgently, it could result in further staff losses, which could have a serious impact on the airline’s operations,” Solidarity said.

Solidarity believes that a mutually beneficial solution is crucial for the sustainability of FlySafair and the broader aviation industry in South Africa.

“The union remains committed to negotiating a fair and sustainable agreement for its members and ensuring that FlySafair will be able to maintain its position as a reliable and stable airline,”

FlySafair defended the rostering system in feedback to BusinessTech, arguing that it was the same as those implemented by all other airlines in the country and many others around the world.

“It is designed to optimise aircraft utilisation, improve operational efficiency, and ultimately reduce costs — allowing us to continue offering competitive fares to our passengers.”

If FlySafair’s pilots are not satisfied with the airline’s offer, they have a fairly easy pathway to employment in other countries.

The global aviation industry has been grappling with a shortage of pilots for several years and many developed countries are poaching South African pilots with high salary offers from major airlines.

FlySafair chief marketing officer Kirby Gordon previously told Southern Africa’s Travel News that there was undoubtedly a tightening of pilot supply in South Africa, mirroring international trends.

“It seems that a lot of talent is getting mopped up by the bigger international carriers,” he said.

“It’s obviously quite a consideration for a pilot to make the choice to go abroad, especially if they have families here that they will either have to relocate or leave for long periods of time,” said Gordon.

Cemair CEO Miles van der Molen said the country was exporting pilots as a real commodity.

“There’s a constant flow outwards. And the restocking of the pool is definitely slower than the departure rate,” Van der Molen said.

A pilot shortage would force airlines to reduce flights, resulting in fewer seats being available for booking and higher ticket prices.

Air traffic controller shortage

A lack of capable and experienced pilots may also exacerbate concerns over flight safety, an area which has recently also come under the spotlight at Air Traffic Navigation Services (ATNS).

ATNS is experiencing a talent retention problem similar to that of the airlines.

The state-run entity has a dire shortage of air traffic controllers, radar controllers, and instrument flight procedure designers amid high demand from overseas.

Plane Talking managing director Linden Birns explained to MyBroadband that the prospect of applying skills and honing expertise in some of the busiest air traffic zones was attractive for anyone wanting to develop their careers.

“It’s no different to young trauma doctors from Europe coming to South Africa to get exposure and experience treating the variety and volume of serious injuries that are dealt with by South African city hospitals on a typical weekend.”

Many international carriers — including some operating out of the United Arab Emirates — are able to pay their pilots much higher salaries than domestic carriers.

Birns said that the government’s defence budget cuts had worsened the shortage.

“The South African Air Force (SAAF) was always a ‘nursery’ or feeder for commercial pilots and civilian air traffic controllers in South Africa,” Birns said.

“The SAAF no longer operates as many aircraft and it has a curtailed budget of annual flying hours.”

“It no longer represents an attractive or viable pathway to a civilian career as an airline pilot or air traffic controller.”

ATNS has also failed to meet administrative deadlines in reviewing hundreds of critical instrument flight procedures across the country.

That has increased air traffic control workloads and made it impossible for planes to land at certain airports if the weather conditions are poor.

It has also played havoc on the scheduling of airport ground operations and caused thousands of flight delays and cancellations within a few months.

“They are also legally obliged to pay statutory user fees to ATNS for every flight and for any additional use of its airspace and infrastructure if a flight is diverted or turned back to its point of departure,” Birns said.

In addition to having to pay extra fees to ATNS for its own failures, airlines must spend more on fuel as planes spend additional time in the air or with engines idling on the ground as they wait for delays to clear.