Pole pilot. That's a good article and confirms suspicion on the line. It has been felt for a while that BA was in danger of over recruiting. I think we have over recruited and I would support this by saying look at the CAP levels. Never has it been so low but then again in the last 5 years we have been so very short of pilots so perhaps this is a reflection of what normal crewing levels should look like during the winter program. The change from FPA to flying pay is no coincidence either. Everywhere you look BA is being trimmed down and modernisation is being attempted. It is only pilot recruitment and mixed fleet cabin crew which has continued and that's probably because we were so short. My reserve months in the past were so busy you never saw home but recently I was calling BA and asking to fly only to be told "sorry we don't have anything" The real indications will come in the summer, if we see CAP return to normal levels of 88 rather than the current 72 then recruitment will have had it spot on.
What needs to be kept in mind is that recruitment over the last two years has been exceptional not normal and it would be expected to slow significantly.
Deferred aircraft? The cleaners said so and they know first. They told me we own our 747's and the cost per seat kilometre was significantly less with fuel prices as they are forecast to remain in the period 2017-20. The deferral of orders is in response to weakening of yield on the Atlantic and in Europe and this is the response so that shareholder dividends can see a return of 10-12%. Adding to that of the recent raise of the base rate by the FED capital is also becoming more expensive reducing the efficiency savings of the newer aircraft. To say I was surprised to be having such a conversation from the most reliable source in BA was a understatement.
Last edited by bex88; 23rd Jan 2017 at 07:52.