IXNAT.
I would very much like to see the figures you are getting your info from on the Delta pilot retirees. If your figures are correct then I am very much mistaken and I stand corrected. I've been told (and have not taken the time to verify) by several DL pilots that the majority of early wide-body retirements were guys within 5 years of normal retirement. I shall look into this a little more closely!
You mention that a number of these retirees are working for SIA, Icelandic, EOS ( how many airplanes do they have) etc. Others are waiting to work for RyanAir. How many pilots are you talking here? 15-20-30 out of 1000 or so.(of which a percentage are too old to qualify for entry to EK) I've yet to see 1 DL retiree here in the middle east as a D.E.C. ( 2 DL guys are at EK as F/Os with 1 more joining in May, again as an F/O, none of whom are retirees). Where are all the other retired U.S pilots that were with US Air, U.A.L., A.T.A., Hawaiian American? They don't seem to be clamouring to get here. Quite a number of those guys have lost the bulk of their retirements and were under 50 years of age. Singapore, the UK, Europe, Asia are all perceived in the U.S. in a much different light than the middle east. Americans think that this a very negative place to be right now. I just don't think that EK will get a large influx of U.S. major airline pilots as D.E.Cs. ( unless they are paid much more than the website suggests and AS has said that this is just not the case
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This is not meant to be a battle with you over numbers. It is just one man's opinion (and we we all know what they say about opinions). You say you have no dog in this fight. Well I do and I stand by my assertion that I cannot condone the hiring of D.E.Cs at EK at this juncture and under the current set of circumstances. There are too many qualified F/Os already here who are a known entity and could easily upgrade. Let's sit at the pub some evening. I'll buy you a pint and we can discuss our different opinions
(unless you are coming here as a D.E.C)
330
P.S. Still waiting on that 16 week check!!!