Hi All
Perhaps this post is in the wrong place but I'd like to get some answers from people who have experience of Qatar and living in Doha. My situation is that i have an interview for the Qatar Wings MPL Programme with CTC, the basic trajectory being I pay a LOT of money and in return a conditional offer of employment from Qatar with an MPL after training, that becomes an ATPL at the 1500 hour mark. From what I have read the graduates on this course start as a second officer for an undisclosed period and then once the relevant experience is in place, fly the line as an FO on the A320. This route is about as good as it gets in terms of "sponsorship" at the moment (save the BA scheme) so i am trying to weigh up weather it is a viable option for someone in my position.
The main questions I have are:
Would Qatar be a good airline to start my career with? Especially when taking into account the oppertunities in europe; working for easyjet or brianair on a zero hours contract.
Is Doha a good place to live? I'll be in my early to mid 20's with no significant other (at present
) or kids to drag with me.
Is the job security good? I have read horror stories about pilots making minor mistakes and then being sacked without warning. The nightmare situation would be if I lost my job before getting the ATPL and being left with a stack of debt and a useless licence. However I have also heard that the growth of the airline is significant so jobs would be fairly secure?
Is the pay significantly better than comparable positions in europe? One of things that attracted me to this scheme was the rumblings of having a much better salary than low hour pilots in europe meaning I could pay off training debts a little faster. Is Qatar also tax free?
Any other things I should know concerning Qatar or starting out in general would be greatly appreciated.
BVB