If it did, the Cadet scheme would be flawed big time.
CEPs start off as CAT C SOs, they have to spend a longer period of time as an SO before they reach CAT A status, DESOs start off as CAT B. The shortest time frame a DESO has gone through to JFO would be around 12 months.
A lot of the high timers that applied for DESO instead of DEFO must also have done so by choice. The requirements for applying for DEFO has never been as high as the hours you mention.
Not at all. I do not know the exact crossover, if it was the end of 2005 or 2006, before that time, the only way to start on the PAX fleet was CEP or DESO, no DEFOs were available on the PAX fleet.
DEFOs were available on the freighter, but it was a trickle, maybe 2 a month. When they started recruiting DEFOs on the PAX fleet, it was a flood, around 300-400 DEFOs in the space of 2-3 years.
Never the less, I hope that CX offers upgrades/BPP to the SOs that require it.
Last ball park numbers I heard was that 200 captains are in the company beyond the age of 55, and behind the most senior SOs there are around 400 DEFOs. Last number I saw on the HKAOA website was that only 3 SO in total were on bypass. They do this by not holding assessment boards.
They are not only screwing over the SOs with bypass, they are also screwing over 100-150 FOs that should be getting bypass as well with the number of Captains that have extended beyond 55.