No use moaning and bitching.
It is all about numbers to fill seats, LH and RH. Aircraft are coming on both fleets (777 and 380) and recruitment is admittedly still getting all sorts of applications. Now it simply runs down to who accepts the poor conditions or who has the required qualifications, apparently not yet lowered to questionable standards.. …..
It appears that with the actual T&Cs, there are not enough FOs, but still some desperate Captains who sign on. Not surprisingly because when some carriers go bust in the USA not only FOs lose their seat, but skippers as well. Some WILL take the DEC offer irrespective of what EK FOs think of them. You all would do the same to feed a family. EK will take in whatever seems suitable to them, they just look for the fast numbers.
Another bottleneck is the instructors. Again their T&Cs are such, that not enough stay put. Training a entire crew is more efficient than running everyone through the FO mill, then the upgrade. Simple economics and ergonomics. Respecting contracts, following the own FOM, fulfilling promises or honouring what has been stipulated? It is simply not culture around here, not at EK, not in the Middle East. The only thing that counts is greed. Each department can just overview its own shed in their backyard. They get as little truth or information from above as we do, so they just have to work with what’s at their hands and deliver whatever is demanded. There is not a master plan to screw the FOs, there is just greedy pressure from above and the fastest and most cost effective solution is followed. Nobody in management wants to realise that this is short term thinking and a more logical and just solution would pay off in the long run. Proof is the dwindling numbers of suitable FOs applying, which is just a consequence of their poor treatment. Unfortunately this leads to the precarious situation that EK is forced to keep up the DEC program and the FOs are stuck on their seat even longer. We should encourage all our friends to apply as FOs, but who can do this with a clean conscience?
Moaning and bitching is futile. What could help? Unfortunately I don’t know.