It was co-ordinated by the Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) after a prolonged period of wage suppression, to support its campaign for a 29.5% pay increase.
The dispute severely disrupted domestic air travel in Australia and had a major detrimental impact on the tourism industry and many other businesses.
The dispute was superficially resolved after the mass resignation of a significant number of domestic airline pilots to avoid litigation from the employers.
The dispute crippled the Australian Federation of Air Pilots and cleared the road to airline industry deregulation.
[2] The dispute was listed as a contributing factor in the closure of Pearl Coast Zoological Gardens in Broome, Western Australia which relied on domestic tourism.