Once again a close call and luckily there is no smoking hole in the ground. Once again management take absolutely no responsibility for being in any way part of the problem. EK was a great company to work for but is rapidly becoming a bit of a joke within the industry.
EK has dined on other company’s failings, they are happy to replace experienced staff with pilots about to lose their jobs elsewhere. They use this ethos to avoid maintaining a remuneration package that would attract experienced pilots. As a result the experienced pilots within the company leave, and the subsequent void is becoming ever more evident.
The downhill slide over the last ten or so years seemed to accelerate in the last few years when management were faced with a severe decline in qualified pilot applicants. Rather than address the problem a psychopath in senior management embarked on a new strategy of significantly lowering the requirements, along with a load of other budgetary cuts and silly shortcuts to get bums on seats including sackings if one did not agree with him. His minions had no choice but to go along with his crazy ideas and his boss let him because in the short term it was more bonus for him and his management team.
The deteriorating conditions (in many aspects of the overall package) subsequently ensured an exodus of very experienced pilots without a care in the world registered by the 9th floor, I’m sure they figured they were saving more money. 521 was swept under the carpet with more close calls taking place on the line subsequently, yet the cost of experience appears unquantifiable from a management viewpoint which seems set on operating in compartments with minimum cost being the sole directive from above.
The last few years has seen some irrational events happening on EK aeroplanes that in the past would have been unthinkable. Remember the planes haven’t changed, it’s the company management that has taken the decision of changing its working practices toward its staff that has led to the rest of the aviation industry questioning whether they would really want to work for such an airline. I thought things were bad when I left but according to a relative still there, it’s gotten much worse.
Good luck folks, stay safe out there.