Aircraft Cabin Crew Award

MA000047 covers employers of aircraft cabin crew and their cabin crew employees throughout Australia, across domestic, regional and international flying operations. It captures roles like cabin crew member, supervisor and manager. If you employ flight attendants or other cabin crew, this is generally the relevant award. Confirm coverage against the award and the Fair Work Ombudsman, as ground staff and pilots fall under different instruments.

The award is structured around three operational classifications: cabin crew member, cabin crew supervisor (typically narrow-bodied aircraft with four or more crew) and cabin crew manager (typically wide-bodied aircraft). Each has its own minimum rate. Classify each crew member by the role and aircraft they actually work, then read the current rate for that classification from the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Always take current rates from the Fair Work Pay Calculator or the MA000047 pay guide rather than memory or an old spreadsheet. Rates differ by classification (member, supervisor, manager) and by employment type. They are reviewed annually and rise from the first full pay period on or after 1 July, so any figure has a use-by date. Valont keeps these rates current as part of award-compliant payroll for cabin crew employers.

Casual cabin crew are paid an hourly rate plus a casual loading, which is commonly 25% across modern awards, in place of paid leave and other entitlements casuals do not receive. There is also a minimum payment per engagement. Treat 25% as a guide only and confirm the exact loading and minimum engagement for this award from the Fair Work source before running pay.

Overtime generally applies to hours worked beyond a crew member's ordinary or rostered hours, with the specific rates set out separately for domestic, regional and international flying in the award's schedules. An employee and employer can also agree in writing to take time off instead of being paid for particular overtime. Check the schedule that matches the crew member's flying category, and confirm rates via Fair Work.

MA000047 includes a range of allowances summarised in Schedule E, covering items such as flight-duty, layover and positioning allowances and expense reimbursements, with the detail varying by flying category. Because some are paid per duty or per layover rather than per hour, they are easy to miss. Identify which allowances apply to each roster and confirm the current dollar amounts using the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Cabin crew pay is structured around flying category, tour of duty and rostered hours rather than standard Monday-to-Friday office hours, so weekend treatment differs from many awards. As a general guide, weekend penalties across awards commonly run around 25% on Saturday and 50% on Sunday, but you must confirm what MA000047 actually provides for the crew member's roster against the Fair Work source rather than assuming.

Public holiday entitlements flow from the National Employment Standards and the award. As a guide, public holiday work across awards can attract penalties of up to 150%, but cabin crew rostering and the award's own schedules determine what actually applies. Always verify the public holiday rate and any substitution arrangements for this award via the Fair Work Pay Calculator before processing a pay run that includes a public holiday.

Under MA000047, cabin crew can receive a larger annual leave entitlement than the standard four weeks, reflecting the nature of flying rosters, with leave expressed in days inclusive of weekends and public holidays. Annual leave loading of 17.5% applies to part of that leave. Confirm the exact number of days, how the loading is calculated and any accrual caps from the award and Fair Work, as the arrangement is more involved than a typical award.

Duty is generally measured from sign-on to sign-off and covers more than time in the air — it commonly includes flight time, deadhead (positioning) travel, airport reserve and emergency procedures. Sign-on is typically earlier for international duties than domestic ones. Paying only airborne hours understates the tour of duty, so map each crew member's full duty period and apply the relevant award provisions.

Part-time cabin crew work fewer hours than full-time on a reasonably predictable basis and accrue leave and other entitlements pro rata, unlike casuals. Their minimum hourly rate is the same as a full-timer in the same classification. Document agreed hours and the pattern of work in line with the award, and confirm the current classification rate from the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Modern award minimum rates increase following the Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review and take effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July. The 2026 review added 4.75% to modern award minimums. Apply increases from the correct pay period, not the calendar date, and pull the new figures for each classification and allowance from the Fair Work source so cabin crew pay stays compliant.

The risks with MA000047 sit in the detail: correct classification, the right flying-category schedule, full duty time, allowances paid per duty or layover, and rates refreshed every July. The safest approach is to anchor every figure to the Fair Work Pay Calculator and review pay each 1 July. Valont runs award-compliant payroll for cabin crew employers, mapping rosters to the right classifications, allowances and penalties so figures stay current and accurate.