Hi!
KAL, China, Emirates, Qatar, etc. DESPERATE for pilots.
T&Cs for the China contract positions have been going up, up, up.
Most regional airlines in the US are now filling only half of their new-hire classes. ALL of them have lowered their minimums. Some do not have ANY published minimums any more.
American, the airline in the US that has not hired for the longest time of any US airline, announced that they will run through their list of 1800 furloughees and begin hiring this year. USAir is hiring, Southwest is hiring, CAL/UAL will recall all furloughees and begin hiring as soon as the merger is straightened out.
Intntl cargo is going crazy and companies are adding airframes and crews as fast as possible.
In the US, new Flight/Duty/Rest rules go into affect prior to 1 Aug, and it will cause all carriers to need additonal crew: For example, at my airline, which is a very good one (I LOVE my job!), we will need 25% more pilots to cover the flying with the new rules. We are adding LOTS of planes. The new requirement for ALL Part 121 new-hires to posses the ATP (NOT a frozen ATPL, and NOT just the written tests) will go into affect 1 Aug 2013. ANY new hire FO in ANY -121 airlines will need a full ATP to sit in the right seat!
And, the pilot hiring tsunami has just begun!