I believe basing will be next for new hires with a drastic change in policy . Line in the sand (pardon the pun) and all that. End of housing, crewing ans expansion problems in one go.
There is alot of potential dreaded DEC and halo wearing FO candidates in Europe at the moment who dont want to reside in the gulf and are very concerned about the future.
Hiring a defunct carriers chaps as a job lot already rated would solve alot of issues.
Ah labour laws I hear you cry. Give an unemplyed 330/777 chap the option of unemplyment or staying where he is flying new kit on a dubai contract with caveats for basing and domicile and i believe they will bite the hand off in a NY second. Cheaper all round, tax is not eks problem niether is housing but the contract is administered under Dubai law.
It works for Korean.
They invite non typed people with equivalent heavy time to obtain a type rating themselves and then choose a base. If you are typed all the better. The UK for example is awash with 330 pilots, 767 pilots and if the big boys go under all the 777 drivers you can eat. (times are changing at Big Airways and they do retire rather early)
I believe Dragon also had manchester based 747 pilots on a hongkong contract in the past.
All it needs is for the light to go on in some bean counters head and it will make todays bitching about EK look like small fry.
Just thinking out the box gentlemen no offence intended, I know how sensitive some of these issues are
