Australia to ease visa restrictions on foreign pilots

SYDNEY: The Australian government is expected to relax restrictions on visas for foreign pilots as a national shortage sees planes grounded and flights cancelled, aviation officials have announced.

Australia earlier this year removed pilots from a list of eligible professions allowed to work in the country as so-called skilled migrants amid a crackdown to promote locals first.

With a global shortage of pilots, Australia’s international carriers have lost staff to competitors, forcing them to recruit from domestic carriers, who are in turn employing trained pilots from smaller regional airlines.

Unable to source enough pilots, Australia’s regional carriers have been forced to cancel flights, but Mike Higgins, chief executive officer of the industry body, the Regional Aviation Association of Australia, said the country’s government has told him it will ease restrictions in January.

“The government has said it will add pilots to the skilled migrant visa list in January and they will be able to work in Australia for two years,” said Higgins yesterday.

Representatives for Australia’s minister for home affairs Peter Dutton did not immediately respond to request for comment.

A relaxation of visa restrictions would be provide some relief to Australia’s rural travellers, which have been beset by frequent flight cancellations.

According to Australian government data, 3% of domestic flights were cancelled in November, the highest monthly level in nearly six years. Cancellations of Australian domestic flights hit a high of more than 5% in December 2011 when a volcanic ash cloud from Chile grounded flights.

The carriers that had the most cancellations were Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd and QantasLink, the regional carrier of Qantas Airways Ltd, the data showed. — Reuters