First of all I'd like to say to CDRW that I did not smoke anything. K?
Look expat guys, you DO have my sympathy. I know how it's like to loose that super-safe job. My airline got bust... I would be flying the 340-600 by now, but anyway... I know you don't care.
All I want to say is that you went for a golden contract with high risk, you took it (the contract, AND THE RISK). So now live with it.
In a few years time SIA will again hire Expat Commanders, wanna bet? Will you again be signing that contract? Will I? Will somebody else?
I can understand SQ wanting to go more local, it's Singapore Airlines after all, not Expat Airlines. Now, do they need your expertise? I don't know, I'm not there... I can't tell. All I know is that nowadays Airlines are ruled by beancounters (so is mine), and they do not care about expertise, gentlemen's agreements, code of honor, ore anything like that. We, the pilots, are just silly payroll numbers which they would like to get rid of if they could... But they can't, and they never will.
I'm not in SQ, but in my airline I AM the local, and believe me, I'd like to get rid of those overpaid, below-average-standard, bad-attitude, arrogantly-behaving, no-local-language-speaking pilots. I'm not saying that you guys are any of these, but please understand SQ's "locals first" policy.
No National Legacy Carrier in Europe hires Expat Captains. And I'm sure in your home countries the National Carriers do not as well.
So why should Singapore Airlines do so? Think about that.
Now, dear ang mo friends, bash my post. Lah.