UPLIFT
SUPPORTING COLLEAGUES BEYOND THE COVID-19 CRISIS
WORKING TOGETHER
The Uplift Group is now available nationwide to support all Qantas mainline pilots.
Our purpose is to support pilots and their families who are under serious financial pressure due to unexpected events such as natural disaster or medical issues.
During Covid, individual groups were set up in the Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney bases to provide support for those experiencing financial hardship.
The aim of these groups was to provide short-term financial relief for pilots and their families who needed a helping hand. This was made possible by the generous donations of many of your colleagues.
Following the pandemic, a decision has been made to pool the remaining funds of the 4 organisations to create a National organisation to continue to provide financial support.
The name Uplift was chosen for this combined group.
To those friends and supporters outside the industry...............thanks for visiting the site. Read on to learn what we are doing to help colleagues in need.
HELPING UPLIFT
Thank you for taking the time to read about the Uplift Support Project.
On a global scale, aviation was one of the industries that was first and most profoundly impacted by COVID-19. It has recovered significantly and the future is looking positive, but one thing the Pandemic highlighted was the way in which financial pressure can have a very adverse effect on the wellbeing of those impacted, as well as their families.
Despite the best of plans, illness, natural disasters and other events do occur outside an individual’s control.
Typically pilots have the financial security to weather the storm, but there are some, particularly those who have newly joined the company, who do not.
Uplift aims to provide short-term financial relief to help colleagues who are under financial stress to the extent their wellbeing, or that of family members, is significantly affected.
HOW UPLIFT WORKS
Qantas pilots are selected for their resilience and trained to respond to a crisis, and many demonstrated this by pivoting to other industries and roles during Covid-19.
Nevertheless, as in any community, there are those amongst the pilot body who are vulnerable when an unexpected event occurs, whether it be related to accidents, natural disasters or health.
Most significantly affected are the junior pilots, who typically have limited resources and high levels of debt. These newer pilots often have minimal or no leave to draw upon, as well as significant debts from aviation training, which often exceed $150,000.
This need resulted in a group of Qantas pilots uniting to establish the Uplift Support Project with the aim of supporting pilots who are considered to be under significant financial pressure.
Distribution of financial assistance is overseen by the Uplift committee upon compassionate grounds and a set criteria of hardship.
