Med757,
The simple and real reason (not Gulf Air A320) is COST.
The mismangement and accountants have worked out that it is cheaper in the short term to employ DEC's and contract pilots. If you are an MFF Airbus FO they need to replace both a 330 FO and a 340 FO as well as give you an upgrade, so work it out. Same for 777, two courses for upgrade as opposed to one for DEC, although as they are so short all 777 FO's are being upgraded at 3 years. Airbus is now up to 4.5 years as of last month!!!!
Also because of being CHEAP they failed to respond to the situation when they could by over crewing both fleets before the Aircraft started arriving. We are now in the stage that we require a lot of pilots on both fleets, but guess what, the Boeing is more desperate so they are all going there leaving another shortfall on the Bus
. Catch 22
So what will happen when the A380 starts arriving????? Thank God for Airbus, becuse if they had been on time the whole pack of cards would have come down by now.
The sad thing about this fiasco is that they have learned nothing.
Keep recovering.
