Virgin Australia delays vote on controversial enterprise agreement that would cut pilots’ days off

Some Virgin Australia pilots alleged they are routinely rostered to work 12 hours or longer on back-to-back days. Photograph: Dan Peled/AAP

Virgin Australia has made a last-minute decision to delay putting a controversial pilots’ enterprise deal to vote, after outcry about its plan to cut days off and concerns that pilot rostering was nearing unsafe limits.

The decision comes as Civil Aviation Safety Authority (Casa) officials flagged they were aware of fatigue concerns over Virgin Australia’s pilot rostering after the Guardian revealed internal disquiet on the issue among senior pilots and frustration at what they felt was an inadequate response from management.