The decision to leave is a personal one. It is true that the people who resign leave for personal reasons. They do not leave because they want to prove a point, and they do not leave because they want to help the cause. In EK, and for that matter in most of the expatriate jobs, our union and our protection is our a..e
Emirates knows that the pilot body, is not one that rises to the extremes, nor are we likely to leave on the drop of a hat. It takes time and planning. They have probably miscalculated the number of people who would leave for personal reasons, and they have probably miscalculated the timing of the resignations.
What has being happening is that as the market is booming, and the airlines are crying for pilots, most of us that have being seriously looking have found jobs that suit us more than EK and suit the lifestyle we want as well.
EK management are lucky once again since the A380 has been delayed, so they will probably catch up, but then again I am no longer in the know to hear what is going on for sure.
It is not a shock any more to any one that EK is not a long term career, but rather a long or short term contract job. As such we all do the math and we see if it is worth it or not. EK does not have any more problems, or any less problems than most of the outfits that are in the contract job basket. It is not for sure a BA, or a Virgin, but it is no different to a lot of other contract jobs on offer.
Those that decide to stay at EK, stay for the similar reasons to the reasons colleagues of ours stay at United, US AIR, Delta, Ryanair, Easy Jet, Air Berlin, SAS, etc, etc.
If you speak to those pilots you shall hear that they are not happy with what is going on in their company, and they also see it coming to a grinding hault. People stay at their present employer for many reasons. Family stability, financial reasons (Over stretched with loans etc), comfort (Better the Devil you know than the one you do not), etc, etc.
Those of us that have made the move, and those that shall make the move to either leave Emirates or join Emirates are the optimists in life. We geniunly believe that the move we are making is a positive one, therfore we are probably more positive sounding about the new company we have joined and about life in general.
I have seen through the years, that as one achieves his /her personal goals he / she evolves and requires different things. Our colleagues who are joining Emirates are at a different stage in their path, so may be it suits them. I do not know of any one that sees Emirates as a long term career any more, but then again I never thought that I would have done 10 plus years as well
I see Emirates for what it is, and not for what I thought it was. I left not because I was dissapointed (which I was), but because I found something better for my family and I, and I was willing to make the move because I did not have two cars and party loans, and I had enough in my bank and provident fund to make the move.
My friends who have stayed back, have also stayed for personal reasons, and not because Emirates is such a delightfull place. They believe that the present situation in Dubai is what suits their family needs, more than their career needs.
Interesting times ahead....