Re FoxChaRomeo's comment from 5 July.
I was also told that there would be a total intake of around 150 crew in 2018, inc FPP, suggesting ~90 from the hold pool, but potentially later on in the year if the FPP guys/gals are starting first.
FWIW a very senior flight ops manager said pretty much the same in a face to face forum in the last few days, i.e. get the "graduated" FPPs waiting in the wings started, then (and here he was slightly more optimistic) go to the hold pool for perhaps 100 plus. Doing the sums it looks like a total intake of FPPs / DEPs of perhaps 200, tops,...but of course that plan is probably already out of date..............
( yes I know, somewhere somebody is muttering "I thought that selfish old f*** had "gone away"
...)