If I were running QLink right now I'd have anticipated the exodus of pilots to mainline and cranked up the sausage machine to full kilter. Have a short term excess of pilots. That way you'd have the capacity to let people go without it affecting your operation
Sausage machine was going full kilter, but directed at the wrong part of the operation. All the new hires were going to JQ NZ for the Q300 operation over there. You see, management announced that the Dash operation would be starting up. But instead of training guys BEFORE the commencement of flying, sent a whole bunch of training resources over to NZ DURING the start up. So the poor training captains were trying to train the new FOs, fly in a new environment whilst trying to maintain a degree of schedule with VERY minimal support. All the while Emirates announced they are willing to take Dash 8 guys. This was white noise to management as they were focused on the budget carrier and let the premium (as much as you can on a Dash) product in Australia languish.
Re mainline opening up, it's mid April and we've heard bupkiss. Nudda. Zip. Zero. Zilch. The guys leaving to Emirates (with more on the way apparently) all pretty much have the same reason to leaving - no progression. Not to mention the rumored embargo on being able to go from one Group entity to another. They say they would have a better chance of going to mainline from Emirates than from QLink because they would be hired from outside the Group. Emirates have apparently told our management that they were VERY happy with the quality of the candidates and more were on the cards. So alas, the talent is plundered by the competition. Will management learn? Not bloody likely.
Fuel-Off
