Flight disruptions expected for Western Australia as hundreds of pilots at Qantas subsidiary strike

The Qantas Group is working to minimise flight disruptions for thousands of regional travellers today as hundreds of pilots walked off the job.

The Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) says its members working for QantasLink and Network Aviation in Western Australia are taking 24-hour industrial action over stalled wage talks.

Qantas says it is working to protect the travel plans of thousands of customers, including leisure travellers and mining workers in the state.

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Qantas says Network Aviation has had to cancel about 35 return flights as a result of the strike. But the airline says about 95 per cent of regular customers scheduled to travel today will get to their destination on the same day, as well as around 70 per cent of charter customers.

All customers with impacted flights have been contacted directly and offered a range of options, including a rescheduled flight, a refund or a credit.

The AFAP says pilots regret taking the strike action but have not had a pay rise for five years.

"The enterprise agreement expired in 2020 and pilots had their last pay rise in 2019," said the union's senior industrial officer Chris Aikens.

"We have been negotiating in good faith for at least 18 months but the company continues to be inflexible.

"We remain keen and willing to meet with the company's management to arrive at some improvements in terms and conditions for the lowest-paid jet pilots in the Qantas Group.

"Network Aviation pilots in Western Australia fly the same aircraft on similar routes and just want to be treated like other Qantas pilots."

Network Aviation chief operating officer Trevor Worgan says the disruption for passengers was frustrating.

"It's disappointing that the pilots' union have again chosen to disrupt the travel plans of West Australians. We know that this disruption is frustrating for customers and we appreciate everyone's patience," he said.

"We've been working to reach a new agreement with our pilots for 18 months and have offered significant pay increases and other benefits. Unfortunately given the impasse, we have been left with no other option but to seek arbitration in the Fair Work Commission."

Similar industrial action held last October affected flights to and from regional towns and mine sites.