Planned strikes that could have interrupted holiday flight plans have been postponed.

The potential nationwide disruption of air travel across Australia has been averted following the decision by aviation firefighters to postpone their planned industrial action. 

This development comes after more than 90 per cent of union members voted in favour of industrial action due to disputes over pay and staffing levels.

The heart of the dispute lies in the broader public service bargaining round, involving entities like Airservices and the Australian Federal Police, tied to the government's public sector bargaining policy. 

This policy has left many federal employers with pay deals struck under service-wide bargaining, leading to dissatisfaction among workers.

Wes Garrett, United Firefighters Union of Australia Aviation branch secretary, has highlighted the critical staffing issues, telling reporters; “Right now some airports around Australia are not meeting the minimum international staffing standards for a safe response to a critical incident”. 

He emphasised the need for industrial action to bring Airservices Australia to the negotiation table.

However, Airservices Australia has rebutted the union's claims, arguing that the demanded 20 per cent pay rise is unrelated to staffing levels. 

Airservices Australia's chief executive, Jason Harfield, says that operational requirements are being met and regulated by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), criticising the union's tactics as disruptive to the public's holiday plans.

Negotiations between the parties continue.