A rift has opened between Qantas and the company’s pilots as a tit-for-tat campaign frames the Australian Federation of Air Pilot’s strike plans.

Qantas has blamed a slew of cancelled flights on the union’s plans, but AFAP Senior Industrial Officer Chris Aiken told Millsy and Karl on 6PR Breakfast it’s a disingenuous tactic on behalf of the airline, who has been plagued by cancellation complaints.

“We think it’s just inherently unfair that you’ve got all these highly-skilled pilots that have terms and conditions that are so, so inferior,” Mr Aiken said.

“For the last few months [Qantas] have refused to engage with us, and the pressure’s been building.”

Press PLAY to hear more on the dispute between Qantas and its pilots

Qantas has released a full statement in response, stating “the union has finally accepted our offer to return to the negotiating table, but it’s disappointing that they are continuing with their disruptive strike action, which has been timed to hurt travellers during the busy school holiday period”.

Image: Alexi Rosenfeld