What if the UK airline industry was now going the way of the Continent?
Accross the Channel, if you don't have a type rating, usually you won't get a look in, so most student pilots take that into account when financing their training; if you ask them how much it's gonna cost, most will answer 120,000 Euro or so.
Why? In most Continental countries, bonds are illegal, therefore the airlines don't wanna pay for a type rating if you can leave when you like... Therefore, only the majors (KLM, Air France, Alitalia, etc) recruit some low-hours guys without the TR. Other airlines will want a TR before they even start talking to you. Full stop.
My point? It looks like the UK is going down the same route, and I'm afraid that the TR as minimum requirement may well be here to stay. Remember, the airline scene has changed a lot as of late (not always for the better), and bean counters are now literally at the controls of most airlines. They won't surrender control without a fight...
Is it right to have to pay for your own TR? Of course not, but we might have to learn to live with that situation...
