Cathay Pacific Cadet Pilot Programme

[Cahoonies]

No matter what pay any airline offers there will always be someone willing to do the job! Especially if the airline is paying for the training. Yes especially if they are coming from Bangladesh or poorer countries, or Hong Kong that doesn't have pilot training.

Pilots with experience, or from more wealthy nations or backgrounds will know that these conditions are substandard for an experienced pilot. These are cadetships. Exactly that. Designed for a unlicenced applicant with little to no experience, Cathay train you up, then they pay you around half for the rest of your career.

The problem arises in that experienced pilots are used to thinking that Cathay are a good airline and provide good conditions. They used to, to an extent they stopped that about 13 years ago. But right now those days are sadly over my friends! But...hopefully temporarily!!

The only way that Cathay will change the "No Direct Entry Pilots" status is if applicants with experience go elsewhere and are honest with recruitment about the poor offer. Including telling them you will wait for a direct entry position.

Listen carefully here... If you join under a Cadetship you will always be a Cadet entry pilot and will always be paid less than the other pilots. If you have experience, go to another airline or wait for the direct entry positions to be offered again. This is black and white! Easy stuff!

Also, any experienced pilot joining on this Cadet package will make it harder for DESO recruitment to start again.

On the other hand if you have no experience and can't afford to pay for your own training then go for it! This is perfect for you!

If anybody is interested in wanting Cathay to resume Direct Entry (experienced/licenced) Second Officer recruitment with housing and full benefits please write to Cathay recruitment stating exactly that.

Also it could be helpful to scan and email a copy of the recruitment offer or contract to the HKAOA (CX pilots union): [email protected] and see if they will follow it up from that angle. The union has not been consulted about this new Cadet short course for experienced pilots and certainly hasn't ratified its (miss)-use.

So for experienced guys sorry about the wait! To the inexperienced unlicenced Cadet applicants, I wish you the best of luck!