Having read the FAQ's on BA's website, I offer this:
12. What happens to me if I fail during training?
Airline Placement Limited, the recruitment company that will be sponsoring the cadet pilots through the Future Pilot Programme, is very experienced in the management of cadet training. They have a wealth of expertise in this field and will work collaboratively with British Airways, the FTO and the cadet pilot should it be felt that a cadet pilot is not achieving the high standards required of the Future Pilot Programme. If further additional training does not lead to a cadet pilot reaching the required Future Pilot Programme standard then there may be several options available, ranging from continuing training but outside of the Future Pilot Programme, to ceasing training altogether.
If training is ceased altogether, a cadet pilot may be eligible for a partial refund of their security bond as described in the sponsorship agreement. Any refund will be in accordance with the relevant FTO’s failure protection policy, as may be identified on their individual websites. Please refer to the individual FTOs for precise information about their failure protection policy.
Please rest assured that the best interests of the cadet pilot would be at the heart of any decisions made during the rare, but difficult, time that training may be ceased. APL will make further information on the topic of failure and failure protection available to candidates who are successful through the Future Pilot Programme selection process and selected for sponsorship.
13. When do I start earning a salary? How much will that be?
The Future Pilot Programme involves completing all flight and simulator training, up to and including the type rating licence skills test (LST), as a cadet pilot and during that time the cadet pilot is not an employee of British Airways, APL or the FTO, and no salary is earned.
If a cadet pilot successfully completes all training to the required standards, and pilot vacancies at British Airways exist at that time, they will be offered an unconditional offer of employment as a first officer. From that point on the cadet pilot will become a permanent employee of British Airways Plc.
The year 1 basic salary for a Future Pilot Programme first officer is £22,000, with a further £8-£10,000 of flying allowances typically being earned in a full year of flying (please note that these allowances are not guaranteed and are subject to levels and type of flying completed). Remember that as well as pay and allowances, British Airways will pay you back your security bond, tax–free, at the rate of £12,000 per year for the first seven years of your employment as a pilot.
13. What happens if British Airways does not require pilots at the time of my completing training?
We are launching the Future Pilot Programme because we foresee demand in our business plans for a number of cadet pilots in the years to come. That said, we, like many companies, are vulnerable to world and economic events that could cause our recruitment plans to change.
Should this happen and we find there are likely to be delays in employing cadet pilots upon their completion of training we will contact those affected and keep them fully up to date with the situation and our plans.
So British Airways are not Promising anything, all they are saying is this. If you are good enough, pass everything to their standards and they have a place they will offer you a job.
This sounds very similar to the Easyjet scheme earlier this year, you will end up with a Type Rating, but may not end up with a job. Seems BA cannot lose
