I find it very interesting to read of all the Covid-kids joining our ranks shortly. Over the years the standards have slowly slipped which can easily be seen from the training seat. Many who joined just prior to Covid are having issues after two years off because a lack of experience, and we have done very little over Covid to attract real talent to the business.
I find it amusing to read these same magenta pilots writing on this forum asking where to eat in Dubai , no doubt bringing the wife and kids to Dubai for a week of shopping malls , 600 dirham brunches, skydiving and desert tours all convincing themselves that Dubai is just the place for them.
Let’s just recap the last 2 years in Emirates.
March 2022, email sent to staff stating “emirates is committed to all employees both safety and financially” and “as part of the emirates family we will face these challenges together and become stronger together”
Then the half pay started, then the emails “meeting tomorrow” ,employees marched around the training center to be dismissed form the country with 3 months notice. Based on the “matrix.” Generally the more seniority you had , the less likely you were to stay.
More emails in June July and October . Many pilots landing from flights to check if they had an email.
Every time another batch left , a media interview from the ceo to suggest things are good.
The flight ops weekly update missed 3 weeks after the first round of redundancies, and when we did finally receive an update , not even a mention of all those dedicated pilots now in the biggest chaos of their lives. The next update the same and finally 6 weeks after , with many pilots already left , an acknowledgment of some leaving the business.
1600 pilots on the a380 before Covid and over 1000 of those many redundant without any reimbursement of their months of half pay, the highest redundancy on any one fleet in the industry , 400 on unpaid leave , without any medical insurance initially (just life and death) and 200 lucky locals (different rules for them ) and trainers allowed to fly the line.
All redundant pilots received registration of interest to return and then many were told a year later that they will not be returning without reason .
This is not and never will be place for a long stable career , for all the top gun mavericks who wish to join consider carefully the implications of leaving secure jobs to join emirates. A slightly stressful medical and an extra referral for an ecg will be counted against you and would likely result in your ultimate termination should business not go as smoothly again.
Make sure you know what you are signing up for and more importantly what you are leaving. For the pilots I foresee joining us shortly , I’d imagine what you are leaving is very little.