BA Direct Entry Pilot.
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I don’t think it will make much difference because those who would go “stuff it” and retire at 55 or 60 are generally now deciding to ease off the gas and continue working but part time. If you were on the top pay scale choosing your work and doing a few trips a month on which you can take your partner or kids why would you retire? People say the pension will be a big driver for retirements but that’s not the noises I hear.
On a positive note though. Gatwick slots, NEO’s arriving this year to replace older 319’s at LHR. IAG have slots which need flying, some aircraft they could keep hold of to slot sit and a pool of pilots. Despite what people say, in the short to medium term it will be a BA gig and maybe Level will have some later but who knows. That has to be the positive driver of recruitment.
On a positive note though. Gatwick slots, NEO’s arriving this year to replace older 319’s at LHR. IAG have slots which need flying, some aircraft they could keep hold of to slot sit and a pool of pilots. Despite what people say, in the short to medium term it will be a BA gig and maybe Level will have some later but who knows. That has to be the positive driver of recruitment.
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I agree Bex. The PRIAM results just produced are now obsolete. These Gatwick slots could have just changed an awful lot of the strategy and I’d be quietly optimistic if I was in the hold pool at the moment.
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For the sake of those treading water in the hold pool I sincerely hope you’re right and suspect you may well be. On the other hand, the PRIAM results were being sorted around the same time as these slots would have been negotiated. So was this part of the reason for the significant number of FW’s (excluding the required moves off the retiring 767 fleet)?
Who knows.
In any event, the effort required to pass the BA recruitment process is substantial and I really hope the guys and girls waiting for a start date will come off well from the forthcoming LGW expansion. They deserve it after such a long wait!
Who knows.
In any event, the effort required to pass the BA recruitment process is substantial and I really hope the guys and girls waiting for a start date will come off well from the forthcoming LGW expansion. They deserve it after such a long wait!
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At about the time the PRIAM results were being produced, KPMG had lost their case in the courts and were deemed not to have the right to sell Monarch’s slots. They were appealing against the decision, but had not had it reversed yet. The question is do BAs pilot P&P and recruitment plans take the Gatwick slots into account, and based upon the above, I’m suspecting they don’t. After that, it depends whether they can meet the new requirement using just the FPP recruits, and again, I suspect they cannot. I should point out these are all just guesses as I have absolutely zero inside info on the subject.
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The latest PRIAM results did not take into account potential LGW slots (and from that I 'assume' recruitment’s needs to date did not either). No news from network planning as to the likely requirement as yet.
That is all...
That is all...
Last edited by MOA; 1st Dec 2017 at 16:50. Reason: Gramma...
Join Date: May 2014
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NS was asked directly on Yammer if the current PRIAM results & expected future recruitment had taken the Gatwick slots into account, & if any changes would occur.... Her answer is bellow.... hopefully some good news for holdpoolers!
‘Yes things will change once the full impact of the slots filters down to us from network planning. There won’t be another PRIAM results published, the changes will be handled via publication of course lists’
‘Yes things will change once the full impact of the slots filters down to us from network planning. There won’t be another PRIAM results published, the changes will be handled via publication of course lists’
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40 slot pairs equals about 6 aircraft (based on each one doing 6 sector days). That will only need 50-60 pilots to operate (if used entirely on SH routes). That’s not going to make much of a dent in a 300 strong hold pool. That number could increase towards 100-120 if used on long haul.
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I’d heard earlier this year (probably on here) that 2018 was going to be another bumper year for Recruitment. And that was well before the news of IAG acquiring Monarch’s Gatwick slots. I would have though that if the former were still true + the slot news then the pool would be getting drained next year? A wholely simplistic view I’m sure, please enlighten me as to what’s changed.
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“If you haven’t already seen, we launched a cadet recruitment programme this week. The cadets won’t start in the business until late 2019, early 2020. We have always managed the two entry streams separately and will continue to do so.”
Yes well done you’ve answered your question by pasting their most recent email in October to us.
You asked what’s changed- it’s that!
July’s email said, ‘Further to our update in May. At the moment based on our current forecasting for 2018 we are not expecting to be able to offer anyone a start date in 2018 from the DEP holdpool.’ Is that a bumper year?
Why might these newly acquired slots not allow the BA pool to be drained? Possibly because now they will fill the seats they need with FPP cadet and when they’re ready white tail cadets.
You asked what’s changed- it’s that!
July’s email said, ‘Further to our update in May. At the moment based on our current forecasting for 2018 we are not expecting to be able to offer anyone a start date in 2018 from the DEP holdpool.’ Is that a bumper year?
Why might these newly acquired slots not allow the BA pool to be drained? Possibly because now they will fill the seats they need with FPP cadet and when they’re ready white tail cadets.
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Dont despair yet guys and girls! We don’t know what’s going to happen yet.....just read on other forums....
“I have on good authority that senior members of BA staff are currently on a shopping trip for more Boeing airframes, and they don't want to repeat picking up some more dogs like the 2nd hand Gatter A320's.”
.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/1476013-ba-fleet-new-aircraft-arrivals-retirements-master-tracker-124.
So there is still hope for Airbus and Boeing and even nonTRd guys and girls....all we can do is watch this space....
“I have on good authority that senior members of BA staff are currently on a shopping trip for more Boeing airframes, and they don't want to repeat picking up some more dogs like the 2nd hand Gatter A320's.”
.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/1476013-ba-fleet-new-aircraft-arrivals-retirements-master-tracker-124.
So there is still hope for Airbus and Boeing and even nonTRd guys and girls....all we can do is watch this space....
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40 slot pairs equals about 6 aircraft (based on each one doing 6 sector days). That will only need 50-60 pilots to operate (if used entirely on SH routes). That’s not going to make much of a dent in a 300 strong hold pool. That number could increase towards 100-120 if used on long haul.