Exodus of airline pilots to the Middle East

On Monday, in an event at the APLA property in the town of Open Door, Biró shook hands with other aeronautical unions (APA, UPSA, AAA), state unions (ATE) and also part of the Justicialism leadership, both the hard Kirchnerism represented by the camper Mariano Recaldeas well as the space that supports the candidacy of Axel Kicillof, represented by Julio Alak. Former governor and chancellor were also present Felipe Soláwho moves as an independent within the pejotista space.

In comparison to other previous interventions by Biró, histrionic and inflammatory speech, On Monday he was moderate during a speech without a microphone, glass of water in hand, for almost half an hour. He balanced between La Cámpora and Kicillof, with praise for Recalde’s management when he was president of Aerolíneas between 2009 and 2015 (“I cannot finish my term without saying that your management at Aerolíneas was the best in history”) and the presence of Julio Alak, an ally of the Buenos Aires governor and auditor of Aerolíneas during the nationalization in mid-2008 (“In that context the Government made the decision to take the reins of Airlines and it was Julio’s turn to do the task in a quite complex context, where there were those from outside who wanted to buy us and those from inside who wanted to sell us,” said Biró, assuming as he has been doing for 20 years the identity between APLA pilots and the membership/ownership of Airlines).

“This is my last mandate, for the next “It is important that APLA is directed by an active pilot.”added Biró, who is 59 years old and already has the professional retirement on the horizon. “We have open skies, foreign pilots, foreign license plates, a surrender of sovereignty in a scenario where they are handing over everything. (The situation) is chiva. But they are not owners of the Nation, they are managing circumstantially. We are going to occupy the role and we are going to fight as always”.

Although he occupied the center of the scene, the reins of the union began to be transferred to the generation of pilots led by other members of the board of directors, such as Mateo Ferrería and Genaro Trucco, among others. For two years now, Ferrería has been the “face” of the union, which he represented during the negotiation that ended the prolonged measure of force of all aeronautical unions in August-September 2024. This was indicated by another member of the new board of directors.

“We are in a transition. The idea is to go towards another type of connection with the rest of society, because we perceived that there was rejection from outside the union. But at the same time we need someone like Pablo for when we have to negotiate hard,” he said.

In these two years the union was left with a reduced contributor base, with no more than 1,500 active pilots, largely because the airlines that compete with Aerolíneas do not have their personnel within the aeronautical unions but in company unions. For this reason, there are no JetSmart pilots in APLA, nor from the now faltering Flybondi. Paradoxically, the much celebrated Sali

But, in addition, almost 200 of its 1,200 pilots left Aerolíneas. Some because they were about to retire and agreed to an early retirement plan. And several of those who left chose to continue their careers abroad.

“Most of the active pilots who left are flying in the Middle East and Eastern Europe,” said another CD member.

What destinations? “Qatar Airways, Emirates, companies that are dedicated to outsourcing fleets, that rent with crew included,” he explained.

-10,000 dollars in hand. In some cases they even get them an apartment, so that the salary is only as savings.

-And here? How much did they earn?

-An international pilot here is around $5,000 in hand. So in two or three years there they make an important difference.

The reduction was made at the beginning of 2025: at Aerolíneas, chaired since the Milei government began by Fabián Lombardo, there was a voluntary retirement and early retirement plan that was taken by about 1,500 employees, including the 200 pilots. And there were no new additions. “There are fewer pilots and they are flying more hours,” the company had said after concluding the withdrawals.

But also the context that Biró mentioned, with planes and pilots from other countries in JetSmart’s daily operations, speaks of a change of era. “There is less active pilot base than before. But here we understand it as a new stage opening,” summarized the young director of the union.