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Old 20th Feb 2017, 14:22
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Reverserbucket
 
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wiggy

The export of Dutch pilots to the UK was largely a result of the sizable Dutch flight training industry producing far in excess the number of professional pilot graduates over the past 15 years than there could possibly be jobs for in the shrinking and consolidated Dutch airline industry. The KLM Flight Academy was historically a path to KLM, however students were required to sign a disclaimer essentially renouncing any claim to a secured job with KLM after training a few years ago. The majority of Dutch FO's that went to BA were graduates of EPST who had a commercial relationship with a then UK based ATO who in turn (and through EPST connections) had a relationship with BA. Other Dutch schools such as Martinair and CAE-NLS didn't really have any connections and you find some graduates from those schools at RYR and EasyJet and other low-costs where SSTR or P2F was necessary.

DLH take graduates of Lufthansa Flight Training who have, in recent years moved to an MPL programme and reduced their intake (as did the KLS). Both schools have a high entry standard including a requirement to speak native and have not apparently delivered the volume required to meet forecast crewing demands. That said, unlike British operators, it would matter little whether you spoke the native tongue to work at DLH or KLM; the important criteria is whether you are German or Dutch in my view.
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