Business greed
Dear colleagues, this satin business conduct has been going around in some other airlines in the gulf area as well, where junior first officers being contracted for salaries similar to the senior captains. The airline is a business and as long as people passive we will see more degradation to our profession.
They are braver than us, not for doing this, but for doing it during the start of pilots market shortage globally. Yes we became expendables, they will eat off our muscles and throw us out when the bones start to show. They will cover the lack of experience of newly appointed f/o by flying them with experienced captains, which means the captain will be underpaid, and overworked. Why? they will lower their recruitment standards for the ab initio? to compensate for the the market pilots shortage and their expansion plan.
Over my 30 years of flying, i have never seen worse job years than the past 10 years, locked up in the 2x2m cockpit(since 911 actually), no life outside, no time for family(if there is family left), and health issues started to boil(with a cheap medical insurance). I'm getting out this year to have to save whats left from my health. Health is very important, and when you do jetlags and bad sleep pattern for mor than 10 years, you asking for trouble.
Airline pilots should take a good look at their sacrifices and weigh that against the peanuts, also new comers should think twice before joining, its a trap , i totally regret choosing flying as my career, and never let any of my kids to become a pilot.