"They just decided to lower requirement for upgrade to 2400h ! Nice and easy ..."
Latest I have seen on the Base TRE desk in STN is still 2800 hours. I have heard no mention of 2400 hours. There is a lot of " someone told me this and that" but a lot of it is often not true.
In regards to shortage of Captains, I think they are in a shortage at the moment, many captains telling me they are being asked to work days off and a lot of captains telling me they are going to Etihad or Norwegian 787.
But new upgrades are being kept on as first offciers for about a month after completing the command upgrade. Strange but true and I have no idea as to the reason...