Boy - I think you would like to believe I am wrong but my analysis is the same as today's Sunday Times and Irish Sunday Independent. Aer Lingus has been hijacked by Irish unions who are managing to turn back many of the changes made by WW. That is the reality. Paying all your staff lots of extra money to allow you to partially float the company is not exactly wise business practice.
1. Aer Lingus does not have enough pilots to fly the line this August.
2. They are seeking type rated A330 pilots to get around the shortage of type rating training resource available. You may not like this binning of "seniority" but what you would like to happen and what is happening are entirely different matters.
3. The Aer Lingus "Seniority" means last in and first out. When the renewed waste comes back to haunt EI the first to lose their jobs will be the "Cadets" who are just returning from other airlines. That is the reality - what you imagine life to be Boy - well that I guess is just Siptu or other trade union propoganda.
It is all fine and dandy wandering around Dublin with your Shamrock badge and the funny EI Hat - but where will that get you when the next downturn hits EI in 2008 and you lose your job and you hold a worthless A330 rating.
Sure SIPTU and other unions have got EI pilots some jam today but I think most people realise that it is not sustainable.