A Singapore arbitration court ruled yesterday that pilots who fly the super jumbo Airbus A380 should be paid more than those on conventional jumbo jets, setting a benchmark that could have global implications.
The Industrial Arbitration Court judgement settled a pay dispute between Singapore Airlines, the launch customer for the double-decker A380, and its pilots.
A three-member panel ruled that the minimum salary for captains on the A380 -- the world's biggest passenger plane -- will be S$700 (US$458) a month more than that for captains on the Boeing 747-400 (744) conventional jumbo jet.
"The minimum salary point for captains on the Airbus 380 salary range will be S$700 more than the minimum salary point for the B-744 salary range," said the panel, consisting of a representative each from the airline and the pilots, as well as a judge.
The basic pay for a B-744 captain is S$10,000 a month, SIA told the hearing.
In its ruling, the court said the maximum salary for A380 captains will remain at S$16,500, the B-744 maximum.
The court also said the minimum for first officers on the super jumbo will be S$450 more than on the 747-400.
Both sides welcomed the decision and acknowledged they were breaking new ground.
"We recognize there is no market data for the 380," Air Line Pilots Association Singapore (ALPA-S) president Captain P. James, told reporters.
"The A380 is a new aircraft," Singapore Airlines' spokesman Stephen Forshaw said. "There's very little by way of an international benchmark to measure things."
Tom Ballantyne, chief correspondent for the industry magazine Orient Aviation, said that A380 pilots from each country will have to set their pay scales individually, but the Singapore case could be used as a reference point.
James said the amount of the salary award was "fine," even though it was below the S$1,000 sought by the union.
SIA wanted to peg the A380 pilots' pay to that of the wage scale for the Boeing B777, where a captain earns a starting monthly salary of S$9,300.
During the hearing, an SIA official said physical differences between the A380 and the Boeing 777-300 and 747-400 would have little impact on piloting because of similarities between the systems' technologies, cockpit layout and instrumentation.
While the A380 is heavier than other Airbus and Boeing jets, the weight difference is managed by a high level of automation and other aerospace technologies, the official said.
James countered during his arguments that flying different aircraft is "not as easy as changing cars."
In its decision, the court said that "a pilot has very heavy responsibilities for the safety of passengers, crew, cargo and the aircraft" regardless of the ease or difficulty of flying the plane.
SIA, one of the most profitable carriers in the business, is scheduled to receive the first of its A380s in October.
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