Jinkster
There are quite a few pilots here in EK that either have sufficient finances not to care or, don't care about their finances. The point being that I know personally of at least 5 individuals who have children in the UK and are finding it very difficult to see them. It may be because of divorce or simply that the wife hasn't settled or they prefer the education in the UK. Either way, this puts massive pressure on them and may be the catalyst for seeking alternative employment.
Despite the tax, the package would still be good compared to most UK operators, including BA, but money would not be their overriding priority. Emirates must grasp the fact that the dynamics of it's pilot workforce has changed over the years, as has the raison d'être for many wanting to leave. It prides itself on expensive and fancy
PR advertising, promoting innovation and technology, yet fails to apply those same core values to it's very own staff. If it is genuine about acknowledging value in its staff, it's doing a poor job in showing it. These issues have not been building surreptitiously amongst the pilot force but have been evident for quite a few years. A strong and effective management team would have recognised this and acted accordingly. The Company, for one reason or another, choose to turn a blind eye. It's now reaping what it ignored. Highly experienced pilots from both seats are leaving unnecessarily and being replaced by good but inexperienced pilots. Pilots who
will not cut their teeth on 4 short haul sectors a day with experienced Captains, but
will face an extensive Worldwide network into some for the most challenging and busy environments ever. They will fly with some demotivated and less experienced Captains who may have spent 25% of their 5 years in EK sleeping in a bunk. Whilst the dilution of experience has undetermined consequences, the outlook is not positive.
The problem we face is that while current management and their policies will probably be gone in five years from now, the impact of those short term policies will remain. As pilots, we'll have to manage that.
And it's that, that scares me.