Air
China pilots warn fight safety under threat by unequal pay and lack of
rest
Tensions
in the cockpit, partly fueled by 'higher pay for foreigners', may hamper
safety
Air
China says it has received the letter and is verifying each signatory. Photo:
Bloomberg
More
than 100 Air China pilots have voiced their disgruntlement with airline
management, citing tensions in the cockpit over unequal pay and physical stress
from the firm's aggressive expansion.
An open
letter addressed to the flag carrier was signed by the pilots, many of them
captains of Air China's international fleets, flying large aircraft such as
Boeing 777s and Airbus A330s.
The
letter, verified by the airline, said most pilots could not get proper rest over
the years due to the company's "blind expansion" policy, leaving their physical
and mental health "severely damaged".
Cultural
and salary differences also caused a tense relationship between Chinese and
foreign pilots, the letter said. The signatories alleged that foreign pilots had
"longer rest, easier routes but higher pay".
"The
arrogance in the bones of [foreigners] plus the unfair payment has made the
relationship between Chinese and foreign pilots intensive, extremely unhelpful
to the cockpit management, and will eventually threaten flight safety," the
letter stated.
Air
China confirmed to the South China Morning Post today that they were aware of
the complaints and that they would be dealt with properly to ensure passenger
safety.
The
pilots said they suffered from some oppressive policies which forced them to
stay on duty even if they were "no longer willing" to do so.
The
excessive workload has taken a toll on many pilots' family lives, they said. The
letter also noted that heart and brain diseases caused by hypertension were
growing among young and middle-aged pilots.
Air
China employs more than 2,200 cabin service workers and 3,700 flight crew,
according to its 2012 financial report.
Xu
Yanchun, an Air China spokesman, said they had received the letter and are
verifying the list of signatories.
"We are
checking with every pilot whose name is on the letter to ensure its
authenticity," he said.
"For
every confirmed pilot, we will get in touch with him individually for effective
communication.
"Generally
speaking, our pilots are excellent, responsible and reliable," Xu
said.
Air
China and other Chinese airlines have expanded their fleets in recent years to
expand their international reach as cut-throat competition at home bears down on
earnings.
The
fight for customers has ramped up amid economic growth and huge travel demand
from the world's biggest market.
Asia's
biggest airline by market value, Air China said last year it would have 113 new
aircraft by next year, according to Bloomberg.
It also
opened new routes to Geneva and Frankfurt in February, and secured permission to
expand in North America, according to aviation consultancies.
That
month, Air China said its passenger turnover climbed 11.2 per cent year on year.
Revenue passenger kilometres (the distance travelled by paying customers) grew
9.3 per cent for domestic flights and 16.7 per cent for international flights.
Ingen kommentarer:
Legg inn en kommentar
Merk: Bare medlemmer av denne bloggen kan legge inn en kommentar.