Australian & International Pilots Association

The UNSW Mentoring Program tour was an incredible success, with over 30 enthusiastic students joining for a tour of the Qantas jet base in Sydney.

It was great to see students engaged and eager to learn more about the world of aviation.

A special shoutout to Ling Choy for their outstanding dedication and hard work, earning them the ‘Most Improved Pilot’ award on Wings Night.

Thank you to all attendees, members and retirees for joining us at the AIPA 2024 Annual Dinner at the Crown Barangaroo on Friday night!

We hope you enjoyed the evening as much as we did and look forward to seeing you again next year! 🙌

A conversation can change a life. Keep talking – on the flight deck, in the coffee shop, on those long trips away from home. Ask someone today ✈️

📣 Almost 90% of Australians would feel less safe boarding a flight with just one pilot at the controls instead of two or more (Source: survey Redbridge Group) Safety first, always! ✈️👨‍✈️👩‍✈️ “It’s clear the Australian public is fiercely opposed to single-pilot flights – and they have good reason,” said Captain Tony Lucas, President.

Introducing the first ever QantasLink Airbus A220, fresh out of the paint shop.

The first A220 features a striking livery design and is the sixth aircraft to join Qantas’ Flying Art Series, which has showcased Aboriginal art since 1994’s Wunala Dreaming in partnership with .

Around 100 painters worked on the livery for two weeks, which features 20,000 dots and is based on artwork by senior Pitjantjatjara artist Maringka Baker. Telling the Dreaming story of two sisters who travel across remote Australia together, covering vast distances to find their way home, the aircraft is named after the artwork “Minyma Kutjara Tjukurpa - The Two Sisters Creation Story.”

Honours for Captain Deborah Lawrie AM

Sydney Airport has named a new flyover bridge after aviation trailblazer, Captain Deborah Lawrie AM. Lawrie was the first woman in Australia to become a pilot for a commercial airline, pre-1989 Ansett, after she took the airline to the High Court and won a ground-breaking legal battle. In 1979, she won Australia’s first successful High Court s*x discrimination case for employment, that paved the way for future generations of women to get equal rights in workplaces across Australia. Lawrie made history on 22 January 1980 when she co-piloted an Ansett flight from Alice Springs to Darwin and now, almost 44 years since that date ‘The Deborah Lawrie Flyover’ into Sydney’s domestic airport, has been named in her honour, recognising her service to aviation and advocacy for gender equality.
Lawrie was a member of AIPA in 2008 for some years when she was a Jetstar Captain on the A320/321 fleet and continues to fly, aged 70 now, for Virgin Australia. The bridge opened 12 November, and you can read more about that https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-06/sydney-airport-bridge-named-for-captain-deborah-lawrie/103068408

It took Qantas some years to follow suite, not hiring female pilots until 28 September 1984. On that significant day in Qantas’ history, Captain Ann Bennett (ret) and Captain Sharelle Quinn (ret) joined the airline as Pilots Under Initial Training (PUIT) on the B747 Classic and thus paved the way for other female pilots to begin their careers at Qantas and mentored many others along the way.

Now, almost 40 years later things look very different in the aviation space with Lawrie commenting, "We currently have a quite a unique situation where the CEOs of Virgin Australia, Qantas and Jetstar, the head of Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and the Federal Transport Minister (Catherine King), are all female," she said. "So I think the future of women in our industry is in good hands."

Bridge named after trailblazing female pilot to pass over road honouring man who didn't want her to fly Captain Deborah Lawrie was denied a job by Reginald Ansett for being a woman. Now her name will have pride of place on a bridge that goes over Reginald Ansett Drive, and the irony has not escaped her.

A conversation can change a life. Keep talking - on the flight deck, in the coffee shop, on those long trips away from home - ask someone today.

What a wonderful evening hosted by UNSW Aviation we were delighted to be there and for our President, Captain Tony Lucas to be a part of the panel.
AIPA was also represented by staff members Maggie Tran, Senior Safety Officer, Capt Hugh Windsor (ret) Welfare Liaison Officer and Emma Kelly, Head of Communications and Membership Engagement.
Thanks for a hosting a great event and we look forward to collaborating on many more.

AIPA President, Captain Tony Lucas speaks to The Australian about the task the new CEO of Qantas will face to rebuild trust not just with the travelling public but with all Qantas staff.

A new CEO would need to urgently address the Qantas fleet situation, with billions of dollars in expenditure needed to rebuild the international fleet.

Read the rest of the article here.

Next Qantas CEO’s ‘huge task’ to repair trust As the Qantas board considers who should replace Alan Joyce as CEO, unions have warned his successor will face a huge task of rebuilding trust with the airline’s workforce and the travelling public.

Happy International Women's Day 2023 to all our members and staff.

This stunning image was taken at last weekend to mark IWD celebrations with an all female crew!

We hope wherever you are today that you celebrate IWD with your loved ones, colleagues and friends and that you feel valued. Remember to tag in your posts 💜

Behind the scenes, behind the lens.

Fun day 2023 staff photo shoot.

Thanks to the wonderful and very patient .cleary.photography for a great day 📸

#2023