The Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) is a professional Association and federally registered organisation representing pilots and flight engineers employed by the Qantas Group (currently Qantas Airways Limited, Australian Airlines Limited, Jetstar Airways Pty Limited, Eastern Australia Airlines Pty Limited and Sunstate Airlines (QLD) Pty Limited) in airline operations within Australia and around the world.
Membership
Representing just over 2,300 Qantas Group technical flight crew in both domestic and international operations, AIPA is the largest pilot body in Australia. It was formed in 1981 when it separated from the Australian Federation of Airline Pilots in response to the changing aviation environment of the time and the need to enhance the industrial position of Qantas technical aircrew.
International affiliations
AIPA is the eighth largest of 93 aircrew organisations that form the International Federation of Airline Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA). In the global context, IFALPA represents 120,000 pilots and, uniquely, is one of only two bodies holding a permanent seat at the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) without being identified as a contracting state. The ICAO function, under the United Nations Charter, is to internationally harmonise rules and procedures for the civil aviation industry. AIPA is a partner of the OneWorld Cockpit Crew Coalition whose principal objective is to provide a co-operative forum for its member organisations to address matters of common interest affecting pilots within the airline companies who comprise the oneworld Alliance (currently Qantas, American Airlines, British Airways, Lan Chile, Iberia, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Japan Airlines, Malev Hungarian Airlines and Royal Jordanian) and their major codeshare partners.
Organisational Structure
AIPA is managed by a Committee of Management (COM) comprising 40 Pilots and Flight Engineer Officers elected by the whole membership. COM members are elected for a term of three years and an election is held each two out of three years to replace 20 COM members whose term of office has expired. Officer bearer positions (identified below with current office holders), are elected by the Committee of Management from its own numbers:
- President - Captain Ian Woods
- Vice-President (‘A’ pilots) - Captain Theron Busby
- Vice-President (Flight Engineers) - FEO Graeme Cleary
- Vice-President - First Officer Peter Frankenberg
- Vice-President - Captain Michael Glynn
- Vice-President - Captain Jeffrey Lunt
- Treasurer - Captain Andrew Percival
- Secretary - Captain Barry Jackson
- Assistant Secretary - Captain Steven Anderson
Broad objectives
AIPA seeks to advance the employment interests of its members and, to that end, represents individuals and the membership at large both in the workplace and in the broader aviation industry.
AIPA regularly participates in regulatory, technical and government inquiries and forums, and is recognised by various government and quasi-government bodies as having a stakeholder interest in the Australian aviation industry.
Corporate Governance
Corporate governance principles and systems have been formulated and installed in order to ensure that AIPA:
- achieves its known objectives;
- is financially accountable;
- complies with the applicable laws and regulations; and
- is operationally effective and efficient.