Apologies for stepping on your post BBT80’s but I have a question as well.
Surely it’s a false economy paying the Fijian national pilots considerably less than expat pilots? If FJ paid their own the same as they pay expats they would attract, in droves their countrymen back from all corners, negating the need for expats and therefore having a truely national airline.
In PNG alone there must be 25-30 Fijians operating everything from Otters to Boeings but there’s no incentive for them to return home. For example a (Fijian) Otter captain in PNG earns roughly the same if not more (working only six months a year) than a B738 FO in Fiji if he/she was to return home.......more for a PNG based Fijian B738 FO. Surely it would be a win win (no tickets home/accommodation allowances/visa expenses plus Nationals flying the national airline etc etc) for FJ if they hired their own on an increased salary from what is presently being offered?
Also why is FJ continually recruiting expats for the B738 (and other fleets) through agencies when they have such a small fleet? Is the turn over that high? And if so why?
Thank you.
Apologies if I have missed something and apologies again to BBT80’s. 😀