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FlySafair Pilots Say Enough Is Enough: Pay, Fatigue and Frustration Fuel Stand-Off

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1 month ago

July 29, 2025

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FlySafair Turbulence: Pilots Dig In as Airline Faces Growing Crisis

Talks resume, but trust is in freefall and the planes may soon follow

After more than a week of grounded cockpits and rising tensions, FlySafair pilots and the airline’s management are back at the table today, but it’s far from smooth flying.

What started as a brief stayaway by pilots demanding fairer pay and safer working conditions has ballooned into a full-blown labour crisis. Locked out by the airline and angered by management’s tactics, the pilots, represented by the Solidarity union, are warning: If things don’t change soon, they won’t just stop flying, they’ll walk away for good.

More Than a Paycheck

At the heart of the dispute is more than just money. While FlySafair pilots initially pushed for a 10.5% wage increase, they say the real issue is the steady erosion of trust, morale, and working conditions.

“The 737 isn’t a toy,” one pilot told us bluntly. “You can’t just cut corners and expect the job to be done safely. The way things are going, it’s not just unsustainable, it’s dangerous.”

Pilots describe rosters that stretch them thin, inadequate rest periods, and a management approach they say prioritises profit over safety. One veteran flight deck member likened it to a “scorched-earth retreat,” referencing Napoleonic war tactics. “Management is destroying everything to maintain control. It’s a short-term win with long-term damage.”

Solidarity Rejects Offer, Planes Sit Idle

Over 90% of Solidarity’s members rejected the latest wage offer this past weekend. The airline had hoped the proposal would bring pilots back into rotation, but that hope appears to have crashed.

FlySafair’s domestic routes are already feeling the pressure. Flight delays and cancellations are creeping up, and if today’s talks fail, remaining pilots could soon “time out” hitting their legal flight hour limits. That means even more aircraft could be grounded.

“This is about fatigue, safety and respect,” said another pilot. “We’re not robots. If Safair gets its way now, they’ll lose not just this battle — they’ll lose their workforce.”

The Bigger Problem: Who’s Left to Fly the Planes?

The aviation industry in South Africa isn’t just running low on patience, it’s running low on pilots. Out of an estimated 800 commercial airline pilots in the country, FlySafair employs nearly 300.

But half of South Africa’s trained pilots are no longer in the system, having taken their skills to private charters, foreign airlines, or entirely new industries. If FlySafair sees a wave of resignations, as pilots are threatening, there may simply not be enough qualified people left to fill the gap.

One pilot warned: “We’ll be a country needing 1,000 pilots but only having 500. That’s going to affect everyone. More cancellations, higher prices, longer delays. It’s already happening.”

Cartoons and Controversy: Emotions Boil Over

A cartoon circulating on social media added fuel to the fire. Allegedly drawn by FlySafair CFO Pieter Richards, it mocked pilots as “overpaid matriculants.” The company has strongly denied the image’s authenticity, calling it “misinformation” designed to undermine negotiations.

But the damage was done. In private forums and public platforms, pilots and supporters blasted the cartoon as emblematic of a toxic culture. On Facebook, Duncan Gillespie of FlyAfrica called the pilot protest “an incredible display of guts, courage and resolve.”

Solidarity’s deputy general secretary Helgard Cronjé says the strike is a breaking point, years of frustration erupting in public.

“Working conditions have steadily deteriorated. Our members are exhausted, disrespected, and fed up,” he said.

What’s Next: Can This Plane Still Land?

Today’s meeting may be a last chance to find a middle ground before both sides suffer even more. If pilots hit their legal flying time limits and more planes are parked, the impact will ripple through South Africa’s air travel system, particularly painful for a country with limited carriers and already high ticket prices.

FlySafair’s leadership remains tight-lipped, insisting negotiations continue in good faith. But behind the scenes, the damage to relationships and reputations, may be irreversible.

One pilot put it plainly: “This doesn’t feel like an airline anymore. It feels like a battlefield. And people don’t stick around on battlefields forever.”