Virgin Australia Regional Airlines: Recruitment.

[Hold_Short]

Anyone have any information on when VARA are expecting more new aircraft arrivals and for which base? As this might give me a good indication on ground courses. I've been on the hold file for 3 months and HR hasn't got much information to pass on. Anyone else in the same boat?

Thanks a million.

HS

[Going Nowhere]

Apparently CAsA won't allow any extra aircraft until mid 2014.

Info from a VARA FO.

[Hold_Short]

Thats interesting. Too many too fast?

[Going Nowhere]

Possibly,

Apparently they need to get their 'back of house' in order before they can expand.

Common problem with rapid expansion.

[SHVC]

New ATR sitting in TSV waiting for the approval VH-VPI being based in CBR expected Jan-Feb. As for recruitment about 12FO's in Toulouse and Singapore most based in CBR. I wouldn't expect much more training being done as simulator time is becoming more difficult to obtain.

[falconx]

One VA ATR departed YPPD today for Singapore

[Going Nowhere]

ATR's are maintained in SIN/Seletar

[Hold_Short]

I guess it might take a little longer than expected with the new line of cadets graduating this week. 158hrs and they just straight into Air Transport Operations with over 68 pax! Not sure if I should now be concerned!:sad:

Virgin?s first pilot cadets graduate | Australian Aviation Magazine (http://australianaviation.com.au/2013/12/virgins-first-pilot-cadets-graduate/)

[VH-FTS]

You're on the hold file - these will be the people you'll work with. It won't be hard for people to work out who you are. Way to make friends and influence people...

Back to topic, if you accepted a CBR or SYD base you would probably have been picked up by now. BNE is fully stocked for the time being, and I've heard MEL might be the next base later in the year.

[SHVC]

Not sure about a MEL base considering the ATR does not fly into MEL and does not look like it will happen anytime soon either. Was supposed to be Feb but that's been pushed back again for the 3rd time.

[VH-FTS]

Testing of bays and ground procedures were conducted in MEL during October:


Photos: ATR ATR-72-600 (ATR-72-212A) Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net (http://www.airliners.net/photo/Virgin-Australia-Airlines/ATR-ATR-72-600-(ATR-72-212A)/2340432/&sid=3aa3489853a1c8f6e63deb41ddacf6aa)


It's only a matter of time until they start flying to the likes of Launy and Albury from MEL. Even CBR to MEL? The current organisational slow down won't mean it happens in the near future, hence my "late next year" comment.


Perhaps the pilot base for MEL ops will still be in CBR, which is why they're recruiting heavily for CBR despite current pilots sitting around on reserve a lot of the month.


The other obvious low hanging fruit for VARA is Roma once the guvment deregulates the route. It amazes me why a port where Qlink fly to over 12 times a day needs to be protected. Not really too many other options to expand the BNE base...Chinchilla or Miles perhaps, or even maybe Tamworth and Moree when Brindabella die or are kicked out by the towns. But I'm sure Qlink will be the most likely 'winner' in that instance.

[SHVC]

Yes they were down in MEL. I did not post that Skywest was not going to fly to MEL with the ATR I meant was that they do not intend on having a base anytime in the future I have heard that the route could be CBR-MEL-LST and MQL from MEL.

[BPA]

I can think of some other routes ex BNE such as:
BNE-HVB
BNE-CFS
BNE-TNG

Plus adding overnights to the current routes.

[wishiwasupthere]

What sort of hours are people that are getting onto the ATR having? Is it the bare minimums that they're advertising (1000TT, 200ME, 100Night) or are they far exceeding those hours?

[Bushtucker]

Hi SH


I am in exactly same situation in holding file since last October. HR did not pass me much info. We can share the info. Hope to start soon.


BT

[HighFlyer55]

Time to dust off this old thread. What's the latest on VARAs ATRs? Anyone got a start on them recently? I see the were looking for Fokker drivers recently, but seems to have gone quiet...