Airline News
Vietnam Airlines pilots protest salaries
January 20th 2015
The disparity between the salaries of local pilots and those hired overseas by Vietnam Airlines is being seen as the main cause for discontent among the carrier’s more than 600 Vietnamese cockpit crew that has resulted in 117 pilots taking sick leave between December 30 and January 4, with only 10 providing certification, and 30 resignations. Read More »
The Hanoi-based carrier’s chief, Pham Ngoc Minh, told a press briefing it was not the action of individuals as there were signs of a “slowdown strike”. "The pilots' applying for sick leave and the resignations submitted by more than 30 pilots are unusual and serious. They not only directly impact Vietnam Airlines' operations and business, but also negatively influence other pilots and staff members," Minh was quoted by Vietnam's state-run television VTV as saying. The national carrier had to cancel numerous flights over the six-day “slowdown” period and has since requested that aviation authorities block its pilots from working for other airlines.
VTV quoted sources from Vietnam Airlines that said that after the latest adjustment on January 1, the salary of a Vietnamese captain increased from 120 million Vietnamese dong ($5,620) to 203 million, while that of a local co-pilot rose from 77 million Vietnamese dong ($3,600) to 107 million. In comparison, foreign pilots were paid $10,000 to $12,000 a month.
However, a significant number of pilots have told Vietnam’s Phap Luat newspaper that Vietnam Airlines was lying in its statements and that many of them have to work 23 days per month with a monthly salary of $2,500, while their colleagues at private VietJet Air earn $7,500 for 15 days of work.
