No wonder airlines struggles.
And NO, no need to go back to 1965, SAS I know have packages like these, £80.000 - £90.000 retirement.
Of course everyone for themselves, I am sure BA, KLM, Lufthansa have similar packages. I know for fact these packages for pilots employed with SAS 80's & 90's so sooner or later it is going to hit the big companies.
This would have been great for all, if it had not meant a complete stop in recruiting with many airlines, because the major ones can not afford these kind of packages anymore. So taking of my tinted spectacles, I know from Scandinavian newspapers, the pilots wanted to extend they retirement age to 64, getting full pay, approx. £120.000 - 130.000 + their pension would start running from the age of 60 - which would only be paid out after retirement, but in practice that meant they would be sitting with approx. £200.000 a year, now isn't that great news for pilots who want to get their first job?
By the way, the pilots lost their case with SAS, and was forced to retire at the predetermined age. (But have appealed, so they are still at work)
Conclusion internal power struggle with younger and older pilots, because result will be/is younger pilots getting fired!!!
Food for thought, for why it is so dire with some of the major airlines, and the pilots who forgot about the next generation!
SAS pilots flying high | IceNews - Daily News
SAS and pilot association reach agreement on redundancies | Easier
"Although Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) is experiencing economic troubles, like many other airlines, the company has affirmed that the employment of its pilots is secure. According to reports in Aftenposten, as many as 1,000 jobs with the airline are in jeopardy; however the pilots’ positions are quite secure. Pilots for the Scandinavian company are, on average, 50 years old. Most pilots are paid between NOK 900,000 to 1.2 million (USD 175,000 to 234,000).
According to reports in the daily newspaper Dagsavisen, the pilots recently signed an agreement with SAS securing their job and salary levels and ensuring that their salary will increase by 12 to 13 percent in the future.
The salary increase translates to a total of NOK 100,000 (USD 20,000) for each individual pilot annually.
According to Jens Lippestad, the union leader for the pilots, the agreement over the pilot’s salaries is “acceptable”. Others, however, might not understand how the airline could have agreed to such a drastic increase in pilots’ wages considering its need to cut costs and scale back."
"The agreement between pilot associations and SAS entails that measures to address the redundancies will be applied to those pilots who have reached the agreed age of retirement as on September 30, 2008. Taking into account periods of notice, this means that employment-termination notices will be issued to about 50 pilots effective September 30, 2008.
SAS pilots who have reached the agreed age of retirement will receive a minimum of approximately SEK 55,000 a month until the statutory age of retirement, at which time pension payments will increase to a least about SEK 70,000 a month."