desert witch
Well, I'd hate to disappoint.
So, obviously another unhappy camper along with greenfields and that's your prerogative, although I'm pleased to hear that you've not fallen foul of all the issues that both you and he have raised. Funnily enough, nor have the majority of pilots here but many DO fall into the trap of believing everything they hear. It's those stories that perpetuate the fear culture you refer to.
I'm not going to disagree and pull apart your points, neither am I going to say we have a genuine Just culture in EK. We don't. But we all knew that before we came here right? This is the Middle East and unless you are ignorant, stupid or both, you will have realised that caveat before signing on the dotted line. It doesn't make it right but it's unlikely to change, especially with the current incumbents. It's all about blame with a hire and fire culture. HR should support us but rarely do, rather acting on the decisions given at the highest level. Nobody dare challenge our Tim.
This, along with the other issues that concern you will ultimately play a significant part in shaping your view of EK and Dubai. All of our circumstances are different and it takes only a few events to start forming a very negative opinion of our employer. Yes, a poor PPC which results in a review or maybe an impersonal written letter asking about sickness or fuel monitoring. Add in an unhappy wife forced to move to a building site surrounded by a bunch of whinging pilots and your life quickly takes a turn for the worse. 90 hours every month, kids in wrong school, a parent ill at home, along with all the other issues you mention and very quickly we find ourselves in a downward spiral. But, while EK may indeed be responsible for some of these, what many people don't do is take responsibility for their own actions or inaction. They'll look to blame others for situations of their own doing. Do you seriously think that any trainer WANTS to fail a candidate? They don't, but the trainee will often look for excuses rather than having the balls to say "yes, you know what, I fcuked up today". I know from experience, trainers hate having to tell a colleague he or she has not met the minimum standards. They don't do it out of spite, it's done to protect the business and the fare paying public. The GCAA give them that authority and responsibility, not the airline. Which leads me onto a few of your points I'd like to clarify.
Firstly, Captains are NOT downgraded for random reasons. They're downgraded because the Company feels they're not suitable to be in command of the aircraft and when I and you along with millions of fare paying passengers put themselves and their loved ones on a plane, we need to be 100% confident that the Airline is 100% confident too. It doesn't happen often and I can assure you that it's not unique to EK. I know of seven events personally in 15 years, one of which saw the F/O regain his command and is now a competent trainer. One was downgraded due to numerous anger management issues and two lasted only one year in the left seat. Not everyone is suitable for a command.
Secondly, the failure rates you quote are simply not true. The pass rate on the B777 is around 92% and 80% on the 380. Ironically, more candidates fail the initial interview on the Boeing fleet than the bus but once through that stage, become more likely to pass the course.
Finally, the bond was brought in as a result of four pilots gaining their command and leaving almost immediately. Two were from the US and returned there. That was four places that other colleagues could have taken. Now, you could argue that this policy would not need to be implemented if EK was such a great and aspiring airline to work for with industry leading terms and conditions and you know what? Id have to agree with you. But, it isn't and for reasons too numerous to mention, people are leaving. Good people with lots of experience like Goretex, SOPS, the Outlaw, Kaptainlutenant, NeptuneSpear, Uplink and many others. Some may never have considered EK long term but many did or would have liked to. Because of the way this Company is run, their professional attitude and enthusiasm for the job was replaced by frustration and disinterest, evidenced by their posts on these forums.
All they and most of us want to see is an efficiently run airline with competent managers employing well paid and motivated workers. A workforce genuinely empowered to make tactical decisions and to be supported when things go wrong unintentionally and without negligence. To offer an environment where people are treated equally and with respect and as adults, not children. To not only say the right things about how important we are, but to actually SHOW the employees how important they are. To spend time, money and effort investing in front line staff both in calibre and numbers. It's more than just offering fancy seats, cabin lights and the latest technology. It's also about the personal interface between crew and customer. That's what differentiates a great airline from a good one. A consistent, quality product served by attentive and motivated crew.
Sadly, the day Sir MF left this Company was the real noticeable turning point. He would undoubtedly be turning in his grave were he to see how unhappy the cabin crew, engineers and pilots have become. He was a true gentleman and was smart enough to realise the true value of how important a motivated and engaged staff were to the business. We didn't buy our awards then, we earnt them.
So, and I'm sad to say, until we see a like minded gentleman such as Maurice take the helm, this Company will continue it's steady decline, with ever increasing levels of corruption, ineffectual managers, nepotism and incompetence.
Harry