The word on the street here at Planet Orange is that there will be 300 pilots taken on next year, of which 100 will be 'experienced'. There is no detail yet as to what that means or if we will be conducting our own selection. There will also be around 150 internal commands. It is easy to knock easyJet, but right now there are few companies in Europe offering these types of opportunities on that scale. On a note of caution, I have also learnt that our ex-Ryanair Operation Director has just employed one of his mates from said outfit to look after recruitment etc. That does not bode well at all, frankly.
If ever you wanted a warning about how wrong it can go, just look at Tiger Airways in Australia who have been effectively shut down by CASA on safety grounds. It is a disaster for the company and employees alike. One of the areas where safety cannot be compromised is that of pilot recruitment. Any policy that takes the cheapest rather than the best in this area seems destined to end in tears to me.