Current time to Command probably a little less than eight years but as has been pointed out earlier, due to the previous history of the Company, there are a large number of people in the left hand seat who are in their forties and who are unlikely to leave FCA unless the marketplace or company itself drastically changes in the future. As with all airlines, there are contentious issues at the moment for pilots within FCA but the parent holiday company is well run and seems to have a clear plan for its future.
The question of retirement age is not clarified at the moment and clearly any
change to allow Captains to remain in the left hand seat after the age of 60 will have an effect upon promotion prospects - why anyone in their right mind would want to carry on at the age is beyond me but there you go !
Five years ago the Airbus fleet seemed to be in the ascendancy, now however its dying on the vine with two more regional bases going down the Boeing route added to the prospect of the 787 coming some time in the future. Longhaul operations are increasingly important to the Company with the expansion of the 767 fleet.
Riker - have a think about the regions rather than LGW - you might be pleasantly surprised.................