Qatar Airways…A European view for those thinking about joining…
In light of the recent recruitment drive by Qatar Airways you may be interested in the following. I’m sure some of you are thinking about the move from Europe to Qatar. The current situation at the airline and in Doha as I see it…
Firstly an important reason for going to work in the first place, money. Captain’s salary at Qatar Airways is between 27000 and 28000 Qatari Riyals per month including housing, transport, and flight duty pay, First Officer’s pay 21000 – 22000 Qatari Riyals per month all-inclusive. 1 USD = 3.65 Qatari Riyals fixed rate
Housing allowance is 4400 Qatari Riyals per month. If your moving to Doha with your family expect to pay at least 5000 – 6000 Qatari Riyals per month for a decent villa in a compound with pool, clubhouse, some trees, grass, etc… and at least anything from 20000 Qatari Riyals upwards if your going to furnish it from scratch. There is absolutely no support from the airline as regards assistance with finding housing, so while your busy with all your initial CRM, SEP, Simulator courses, living and working in a new culture etc…during your first month here you’ll also be totally on your own in your dealings with real estate agents, an industry in Qatar which requires no licence and is 100 per cent unregulated. A lot of crews are living in very average accommodation by European standards because of the high costs of housing. Water, Electricity and Telephone are all more expensive than Europe plus the national telephone company Q-Tel is without doubt one of the most disorganised, inefficient, incompetent companies you will ever have the misfortune to deal with.
Lifestyle in Doha is quiet, very safe with low crime rates, supermarkets are abundant and well stocked with prices pretty much the same as Europe. Education for the kids is to a good standard but again very expensive and not adequately provided for by the airline. Socially there are no dedicated nightclubs or pubs, most socialising is done in people’s homes or at the handful of hotel bars dotted around the city. Restaurants are varied and good value although alcohol is not permitted for sale or consumption at any of these. Sporting facilities are adequate with water sports, golf, and tennis being especially well catered for, but if you come here expecting Dubai FORGET IT!
Flight operations management has seen some personnel changes in the past 8 months. This department is now headed by Captain David Fleming formerly British Airways and since his arrival ETOPS and LVP operations have been put in place with crew training currently taking place for both, there has also been a very positive upgrading of senior First Officers to Captains. There has been some reluctance in accepting the changes brought in by Fleming and his team with resignations and a particularly nasty anonymous newsletter circulated throughout the department criticising the changes and personally insulting some of the new management. An uneasy feeling pervades the Flight Operations department at the moment wondering how long Fleming and his European style of management will stay in place, how long he is prepared to stay in place or how long he will be let stay in place…
The airlines CEO Akbar Al Baker continues to sack and demote staff at will particularly in the cabin crew department, one of his latest high profile terminations has been the sacking of the airlines Chief of Crewing, a man held in very high regard by most who worked with him and who wasn’t allowed to leave the country on a Qatar Airways aircraft. A recent Lufthansa audit of the airline has blamed Al Baker’s interference and style of management to be the root cause of a lot of the airlines problems and has led to Lufthansa terminating its code share agreement with the airline.
Expect a lot of night flying particularly short haul on the A320. All flights to the Indian subcontinent depart between 2145 and 0240 with the normal 1-hour turnaround, arriving back to Doha between 0600 and 1040. This type of flying is also mixed with day and evening flights around the Gulf and Middle East in any single roster period (1 month), tiredness and fatigue are a common complaint among particularly A320 crews.
These are just some facts hope it helps. Doha is most defiantly not the worst place in the world, there is however a lot of talk about further development of both the country and the airline, at the moment it’s all on paper and again Dubai is defiantly isn’t. Being married with kids and coming to Doha from Europe with the current salary and conditions available at the moment… well it’s just not worth it… unless you’re stuck…