BMI mainline pilots made redundant?

[upandoffmyside]

Van G:

"Just playing devils advocate...but then by what right are bmi mainline pilots getting direct entry into BA? They haven't passed any selection for BA either and are jumping ahead of people waiting in the hold pool who have passed the selection. "

Quite simply, because the BA pilot community were given the opportunity by BA Management to decide whether they wanted bmi integrated in to BA or kept separate as a new lower cost version of BA at LHR.

Down to their contract scope clause giving them the right to fly BA aircraft at LHR.

And the BA pilot community voted to have bmi integrated rather than face the present BA probably stagnate while the new low cost BA born out of bmi attracted the future growth opportunities.

Anyone who has been in midland for some time and has hung on (and that's most who are left at present) hasn't exactly been lying on a bed of roses.

I think you'll also find that the hundreds of pilots from Northeast, Cambrian, BEA/BOAC, BCAL, Dan Air, Citiflyer and a few other decent UK operations that I've probably missed from the mists of time that have all been absorbed in to BA, have also never been subject to a BA selection procedure.

Are they any less as professional pilots ?

For non bmi group people - there's very little connection (except at the very top of the business pyramid) between the three elements of the group, and Regional operates quite independently out of the Aberdeen HQ, having been borne out of Business Air. Yes, there has been some sensitivity at LHR at Regional coming in and taking over a fair chunk of bmi mainline flying for the last few years.

If mainline pitched up at ABZ and started taking over Regional routes there would be similar concerns at the loss of promotions and opportunities.

But if you speak to your group colleagues you'll find a lot of common empathy and understanding about all of our futures. The common bond is the way in which we were all treated under the pre-DLH ownership. I very much hope that Regional can fall back in to the hands of parts of the Business Air management team and once again thrive under a dynamic and focussed team north of the border.