The AFAP is talking about the combined seniority list as a matter of of urgency following the closure, but would it be a help for the pilots concerned? The base protections that have been discussed in the past suggest that to transfer to SYD the CBR pilots concerned would lose seniority anyway? Anyone understand how it would work?
I suppose the question that will drive pilot placement will be aircraft placement. If the two aircraft that were effectively CBR based remain in the NSW network, they will struggle to man them with SYD pilots at the moment. Q400 Captains are already working pretty hard so covering a couple more lines could take it to breaking point; even with three months to train new crew they don't seem to be coming through quickly enough. Perhaps one aircraft will relocate to QLD and make room for a couple of CBR crews?
I also wonder whether the company will bother having the Q400 put on the EAA AOC? Now that all Q400 aircraft in NSW will be operated, managed and crewed exclusively by EAA staff, does it make any sense that EAA won't even have the type on the AOC?
For the record, I think a lot of the other EAA crew would agree that the CBR crew have been a great bunch to work with both on the flight deck and in the cabin.
I know some are taking the news hard and I sincerely hope that everyone finds a good solution. It would be great to have some in SYD to continue the dreaded triple CBR.
