I am a DEC and I find no reason to believe that the programme should be stopped.
I think we bring allot of experience into the airline and the FOs in the right hand seat have allot to learn from us that come into the airline.
The top reasons the airline should not hire DECs.
1) They would get far more applicants if they had a relatively stable progression up the seniority list from new hire F.O. to captain. Having DECs takes almost all the incentive for experienced pilots to apply to be an Emirates First Officer.
2) DECs can be loose cannons. People who play the game while in training and then go "cowboy" once on their own. We know a few of these exist and they are definitely a safety issue.
3) DECs from third world countries who magically have 8000 total and 3000 PIC. Most get caught in the interview, but I'm sure a few have slipped through.
4) EK First Officers with 18 months in seat hired before the DECs came are far more qualified to Captain an EK jet than a narrow body domestic skipper from Europe, Australia, or the USA.
5) EK First Officers know how to spell "a lot"
Anybody care to add more?
Typhoonpilot