Behind the strike: What FlySafair pilots really earn

FlySafair is facing turbulence on the ground as the ongoing pilot strike puts the airline under public scrutiny, raising questions about pilot salaries.

The company says its captains earn between R1.8 million and R2.3 million annually, placing them among South Africa’s top 1% of earners.

In some cases, these pilots even earn more than members of FlySafair’s executive committee.

Industry-leading salaries for pilots

According to BusinessTech, FlySafair says it offers salaries that exceed those of most local airlines, providing top-tier compensation in a competitive and highly skilled labour market.

The airline points out that pilot pay isn’t based solely on flight hours. Last month, captains averaged 63 flight hours, well below the 100-hour limit set by the Civil Aviation Authority, IATA, and ICAO.

FlySafair also stressed that non-flying duties, such as training and standby shifts, are minimal and usually handled from home. The airline maintains that its pay structure already accounts for these responsibilities.

The pay dispute

Despite receiving what is considered generous pay by national standards, FlySafair pilots rejected the company’s latest offer, which included a 5.7% increase, 1.5 percentage points above inflation—with 90% voting in favour of the strike.

FlySafair says the offer also includes extra benefits and a bonus.

However, the union Solidarity has been pushing for a better deal. Its earlier demands would reportedly raise the airline’s pilot-related costs by 20%, due to a proposed 10.5% base salary increase along with added perks like flight pay and performance bonuses.

That amounts to between R360 000 and R460 000 extra per year for captains.

FlySafair says that level of escalation is simply unsustainable for their company.

“If 90% of a company’s key personnel want to strike, something is seriously wrong. Solidarity is calling on FlySafair to return to the negotiating table.” Solidarity said as per BusinessTech.