clvf88
Of course it is stealing the F/O's position. When comparing your two candidates for the role, what criteria are you going to use? Hours?PIC Time? Psyco tests? If an airlines' internal candidates with thousands of hours on type, within the operation does not trump a guy from outside it would be a serious indictment of that airline's recruiting, training and pilot development models. The only reason to take a DEC is when you do not have any suitably qualified F/O's
Furthermore, where would any F/O ever get his upgrade from. Airlines do not generally recruit F/O for training into a DEC positions., so they are reliant on getting their command at the company where they are working. I guess just too bad if they keeping on filling the slots with guys from outside.
When you have 1000 pilots, what criteria would you use in a merit based system to order them for retrenchment?
And yes, I am at a large middle east carrier that uses seniority. I have been here a long time and I would not expect to jump any queues. If I choose to go to BA, I would expect to join at the bottom of their list.