Originally Posted by
FightDeck
So why did Qantas defer over 100 training positions from as far back as 2019 when they knew they would have many 747 and 380 pilots on long term stand down?
The courses were all paused or not started as of about 30 March 2020 when the stand down started. More than 3/4 of courses from the 19/20 training year had commenced as at that date.
More than 1/3 of those deferred courses were listed as going to A380 or 747 crew who had bid for them in that training year.
You feel the other 60ish slots should have been cancelled? Or cancel them all? Of course if you cancel them all the 737 F/O going to the A330 doesn’t go which means the A380 S/O taking the 737 F/O course is no longer needed. I think we’d end up in the same practical outcome perhaps? Qantas just waits a bit longer to fill the A330 F/O vacancy.
Of course they are, who’s going to stop them?
Well when borders are open again it looks more like a commercial decision to keep crew stood down. There’s two issues that arise from that.
1. All crew should be pressuring their local members about a timeline for this. Vaccine roll out and unrestricted borders* is the major factor in getting people back flying more quickly.
2. Lack of travel restrictions changes the legal dynamics behind the stand down.
Other ideas will get a few people back in seats doing some flying in the interim (or perhaps no flying but some income) but it’s tinkering around the edges compared to freeing up travel again.
(*substantially unrestricted. Obviously we may fly some places earlier than others).