At the Australian airline Qantas, the question of who is allowed to fly in the cockpits of the Airbus A380 fleet is literally in tatters. The Australian and International Pilots Association has been sued by the airline over allegations that unions are blocking the hiring of new pilots for the superjumbos.

On May 26, 2023, the brawlers will meet in a courtroom of an Australian federal judge. First, an initial hearing takes place. In this, both parties can verbally express their points of view and, if necessary, also offer evidence. The chairman then decides whether to open a procedure or not.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the fair work motion addresses the disagreements between the two sides over who should be promoted to fly the Airbus A380 as the Australian airline has reintroduced more super jumbos in recent months. The Australian airline has reintroduced more superjumbos in recent months. While Qantas is looking to hire external staff, AIPA has indicated that doing so would break with a tradition that has lasted "more than half a century" in which in-house candidates have been recruited to fill positions on larger aircraft, in this case the A380. to get promoted.

Speaking to the Sydney Mording Herald, AIPA President Tony Lucas said: "Qantas has accepted the seniority and pilot assignment system for more than half a century to provide committed and veteran pilots with a clear career path."

The carrier, which has filed a lawsuit against the employee representatives, sees the matter completely differently. The in-house pilot training would currently be almost fully utilized and would not be able to train as many A380 pilots as needed in a short time. In order not to jeopardize flight operations, external pilots who already have the required type rating and flying experience on this type of aircraft are also to be hired.