Ok for all you FO out there with queries for SIA Cargo:
SIA Cargo is NOT hiring FOs on expatriate terms. Only on local terms. The difference between expatriate and local:
1. Expatriates get a housing allowance to the tune of 3500-4000 a month.
2. Expatriates get children education up to pre-university (I believe). There is a cap, and I am not sure what it is.
3. Expatriates get a return ticket to their nominated home-base in the SIA network.
So, if you are planning to apply, please be ready to accept a local contract. Local contract means you are treated as equal as a local First Officer. A lot of talk about not being able to survive without a housing allowance. I am surviving without a housing allowance and no, I do not live with my parents (free lodging) because my parents are not in Singapore. It is do-able. But of course, if you plan to live along Orchard Road, drink your Dom Perignon while soaking in the sights of the city from your 20th storey apartment, then this contract is not for you.
With regards to upgrades, there are currently two guys who are going through command training. They are expatriates who have met the minimum criteria (hours, sectors, technical scores, non-technical scores). Before you guys start jumping up and down about how come expatriates can get selected for command training, the reason is because they were *promised* command in their contract when they joined years ago.
So, if you join on local terms, you work your way to meet the minimum requirement to get into the pool of candidates. Then, you get selected for the command training which will take about 8 months (so they say).
Other issues, transfer to SIA mainline or Silkair. Discussed before when there was an excess of FOs in Cargo and deficit of FOs in Silkair. Didn't work out because of politics and money-issue. So don't count on it happening. You join SIA Cargo, you're gonna spend the next few years in SIA Cargo.
Flying hours for First Officers is hovering around to 50 hours region. Depends on the season. Usually high during the pre-holiday season, and it drops down to about 10-30 hours in 3Q of the financial year.
All in all, good place to work. Friendly office staff, "flexible" rosters, commutable to KL/JB/Penang/thereabouts, competent Captains, good CRM, no bullying by instructors. There are definitely better options out there, but SIA Cargo is also definitely not the worst.