Mining companies and regional businesses are scrambling to make alternative arrangements, with a pilot strike set to temporarily ground flights across regional Western Australia.

Pilots working for Network Aviation, a Qantas subsidiary that flies fly-in fly-out (FIFO) and regional community routes across the state, will stop work on Wednesday as part of ongoing industrial action.

The pilots provide services for the QantasLink brand.

In a statement, Qantas said about 50 per cent of scheduled flights have been cancelled due to the industrial action. 

Travellers and businesses in regional areas are expecting a big impact as the flight cancellations affect the last week of the school holidays.

In Kalgoorlie-Boulder, the strike will coincide with Ladies Day at the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Racing Club, one of the town’s biggest annual events.

Chief executive Robert Murison said the club had organised a charter flight to get key race day staff from Perth to Kalgoorlie, but said attendees who had planned to take a Wednesday morning flight could miss out.

“We’ve got a charter flight coming, which might have some spare seats on it. We’re just doing our final numbers for staffing at the moment,” he said.

Kalgoorlie cafe owner Gloria Moyle said the cancellations would be damaging for local hospitality businesses during its busiest weeks.

“I’d say that that will not only impact, a very substantial day in small business, but also for the Kalgoorlie race round,” she said.

“A lot of people would have been coming in on Wednesday if they couldn’t get a Tuesday night flight for the round and there’s quite a bit on — busiest week in Kalgoorlie.”

Pilbara Tourism Association chairman Barry Harrison said the cancellations have the potential to be “very disappointing” for tourists throughout the state.

“Being the school holidays, the numbers are going to be quite high, so it’s going to inconvenience a lot of people,” Mr Harrison said.

“If they’re already pre-booked, they’re going to have very limited options.”

FIFO companies rescheduling flights

In response to the action, resource companies in regional WA are scrambling to bring flights forward to “get people out”.

Fly-in fly-out services from the state’s largest mining hubs are preparing for a significant impact on customers.

Port Hedland Airport chief executive Dave Batic said there would be a pronounced impact on people scheduled to fly on Wednesday.

“It will be quite disruptive for anyone flying this week,” he said.

“We’ll do what we can to minimise disruptions.”

Brian, who is a resources contractor in the Pilbara, said the strike has caused “turmoil” within the industry. 

Brian asked that his last name and employer be kept anonymous to protect his employment. 

“It’s caused a bit of disruption,” Brian said. 

Brian, a FIFO worker from Queensland, said his employers were working hard to bring flights forward to minimise the disruption to people’s schedules.

“It puts a lot more pressure on our admin staff to have to organise these flights.”

Customers will be able to contact their airline to organise alternative options or obtain a full refund.

Union ‘disappointed’ by impasse

Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) spokesman Chris Aikens said the union was “disappointed” the dispute had reached this point. 

“The AFAP remains committed to reaching an agreement for our members in Western Australia who fly for Qantas subsidiary Network Aviation,” Mr Aikens said.

Eighty-five per cent of Network Aviation pilots are AFAP members, and 99.5 per cent of those pilots voted in favour of taking action. 

Mr Aikens said pilots were seeking rates of pay comparable to those offered by other carriers.

The current agreement was negotiated in 2016 and expired in 2020, with the union and Network yet to reach agreement.

The airline said the union’s action was timed to be as damaging as possible. 

“This strike action from the Australian Federation of Air Pilots has been timed to hurt travellers during the busy school holiday period,” Network chief operating officer Trevor Worgan said.

He said the airline was endeavouring to protect flights as much as they could.