Originally Posted by
VinRouge
RYR dont have enough pilots. BA are due to lose loads due to retirement over the next few years (timeframe tba).
As much as I wish this were true both for my own career progression and for that of my ex-colleagues in the services, I wouldn't hold your breath. All the guys who were fortunate enough in age terms to benefit from the change in CRA to 65 don't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon and they've still all got a long way to run until 65. The only way they seem likely to go anytime soon is if EASA get their FTLs on the statute books. Also, if it's future career progression you're interested in (achieving a command on LH before retirement for example) then there's one heck of a bulge of cadet FO's from the mid to late 90's waiting to start the stagnation all over again when our captains retire. Overall, movement in BA is very sluggish at the moment and, whilst we're recruiting for expansion at the moment, it's not huge numbers and it won't take much more of a peak-oil intervention for the 744s to be heading back to Victorville sharpish.
Sorry if I sound unnecessarily pessimistic - I've some good friends still in the RAF who I'd love to be able to give more solid news to, let alone my own selfish interest.
MrB