Silk Air

[vent]

Anyone have information about SilkAir?
Looks like they are hiring.

thks .
vent

[jubilee773]

Here are the information...


SILKAIR REQUIRES A320 CAPTAINS


SilkAir, a member of the SIA Group has vacancies for A320 Captains with the following qualifications:

1.Current ICAO ATPL

2.Total Experience: 5000 hours

With rating:
1500 hours airline PIC on a/c heavier than 20000kg (MTOW)
500 hours PIC on A 320 family a/c, with current rating

Without rating:
3000 hours airline PIC on a/c heavier than 20000kg (MTOW)

REMUNERATION & BENEFITS

- Total gross remuneration (before tax) will be in the range of S$150,000 per annum,excluding profit sharing bonus
- Free and discounted travel on SilkAir services
- Discounted travel on Singapore Airlines and other airlines
- Subsidised Medical Insurance Scheme for dependants
- Dental & Medical Care
- Loss of License coverage (applicable to those under 50 years of age)

EMPLOYMENT TERMS

Successful candidate will be offered long term employment on the terms and conditions as agreed with the Pilots Association. Those given conversion training are required to enter into a training bond for a period of up to 3years.

Please forward a detailed resume of your flying experience along with career history, educational qualifications, personal data about your self and family to :

[email protected]


You can also visit thier careers website, goto about SilkAir and look for SilkAir Careers link on your top right.

SilkAir website (http://www.silkair.com)

Regards,
jubilee773

[millerscourt]

The suggested total salary of $S 150000 pa less tax is a total lie so be warned. As for Profit Sharing then don't bank on it and you need to know that SQ will change your salary downwards at the first hint of any excuse. I bet the Asian Bird Flu is the next reason for large paycuts in the SQ Empire!!!!!

Also remember the Singapore Monetary Authority is encouraging the Singapore Dollar to devalue in order to keep competitive with other currencies in the region. Take that into consideration!!!

[Ivan Urge]

millerscourt,

Is it correct that they do not provide accomodation? Nothing mentioned in the conditions blurb. What about schooling, do they give you nothing for that too? I have two to put through primary school.


Do tell! Is this the same deal as the present guys are on, or is it another B (C?) scale?


If the answer is no to both of the above I shall be turning down the invitation. :confused:

[jstars2]

Ivan Urge

What you see is (almost) what you get – so no accommodation and no schooling.

As for Remuneration & Benefits

- Total gross remuneration (before tax) will be in the range of S$150,000 per annum,excluding profit sharing bonus – Given that basic gross is S$7050 x 13 = 91,650, then for the salary to be in the range of S$150,000 pa there would have to be an extra S$58,350 earned pa, which equates to S$5,305 per month (11 months flying 1 month leave). Bit of a trick even for SIA guys on the B744, so it looks like there’s a certain amount of copywriter’s licence here (to say the least!).

- Free and discounted travel on SilkAir services – very limited I’m afraid. Press them for exact details.

- Discounted travel on Singapore Airlines and other airlines – see above.

- Subsidised Medical Insurance Scheme for dependants – minimal medical benefits no dental benefits (I know from long experience). Again ask for precise details.

- Dental & Medical Care – Only for yourself, not for wife and kids.

- Loss of License coverage (applicable to those under 50 years of age). Any benefit should just about pay your tax bill before you’re booted out of Singapore following a licence hiccup.

Approach with extreme caution and skepticism Ivan!

[Ivan Urge]

Just to fill in the blanks then; what is the bond? I am sure many would like to know. Schooling and accomodation? Anyone care to enlighten us all on the cost of that?

[vent]

Thks all, very clarifying :ok:
Won't apply.:ooh:

[b777pilot]

just heard from an ex-management guy at SQ, Silkair may be in for the axe if Tiger takes off and rings the cash register.

it is no secret that silkair will be the hardest hit if there is a street brawl between the LCC. so the scenario is that some minion in the govt. will proclaim the death of silkair and all will be absorbed into Tiger, by the merciful temasek holdings of course.

ah yes, at Tiger's pay and benefits!! naturally.

beware, gents beware.

[Foreign Worker]

My limited forays to Singapore indicated that expatriate accomodation and schooling are generally borne by the employer, due to the prohibitive costs, however Singaporeans have access to subsidised housing and quite good a good education system at very little cost.

Is there a possibility that somebody might post the salaries and conditions for expatriate pilots, please?
Whilst the terms posted by jubilee773 may be reasonable for local pilots, not all of us wish to join on local terms.
Thank you in advance.

[highcirrus]

Hey guys, you just don’t get it yet do you? Let me spell it out! That’s the Silk Air offer jubilee773 detailed (verbatim from the Silk Air web site), no accommodation and no schooling, take it or leave it. SIA/Silk Air are trying to get people along on local terms (part of the new cost saving measures). If ex-pats are dumb enough to come along on those terms, who are SIA/Silk Air to dissuade them? If ex-pats are smart enough not to bother, then market forces will have prevailed and SIA/Silk Air will have to up the ante to get the people along.

As DPM Lee has recently mentioned, there's no rocket science involved.

[millerscourt]

Foreign Worker So you say that not all ex-pats want to join Silk Air on Local Terms!!

Well laddie you have a lot to learn as to how SQ see things these days. Your naivety in these matters amazes me.

You will join as High Cirrus states on the terms as already described elsewhere. Take it or Leave it!!

As others have said if Tiger Airways gets off the ground it will be at the expense of Silk Air so expect Silk Air to be terminated at short notice and all Employees trasferred to Tiger at the even lower Tiger Salaries.

In this part of the world Low Cost Airlines means Low Fares AND Low Salaries

[oicur12]

Hi cirrus,

So according to you, dumb is accepting a job flying an Airbus instead of working at burger king and smart is flipping burgers because no one else is offering you a job.

Interesting logic.

[highcirrus]

oicur12

I know that it might be hard for you to accept but even on the stripped down packages that SIA/Silk Air are currently trying out on the market, they still want current, heavy jet experienced pilots and not burger flippers.

But please, by all means give them a try. I’m certainly not denigrating the aspirations of my fellow professionals – merely trying to safeguard them from naive and ill-advised commitment to rapacious and ruthless companies.

[topman999]

Or maybe, just maybe, highcirrus is trying to get as little competition as possible for himself as he scares off others applying for the position he is applying for. Like I say, just maybe. To all, dont take potential ficticious rumours to heart. Apply, sit the interviews and make up your own minds about this.

[millerscourt]

topman999 If you have viewed the Far East Forum over the years you would know that highcirrus is in SQ Mainline from the information he has posted which I can personally vouch as being 100% accurate.

Their will be no competition to join Silk Air. These jobs are designed to appeal to those from Third World countries with Third World prices and currencies even worse than the declining Singapore Dollar!!

[topman999]

"Their will be no competition to join Silk Air"....Please ! No unemployed western A320 pilots out there wanting a job in singapore ??? I doubt that somehow. Like I say, let the people head out there for interview etc and let them decide.

[Kaptin M]

So according to you, dumb is accepting a job flying an Airbus instead of working at burger king and smart is flipping burgers because no one else is offering you a job.

After paying rent, school fees, water, electricity, etc, I doubt that you`ll be able to afford even a Burger King in Singapore, on that pathetic package, Oicur.

Then again you might elect/need to undertake an epicural transformation, and eat laksa and noodles at the local wet market - EVERY day lah!

[BlueEagle]

Year ago, when I was in Gulf Air, quite a few lads from Indian Airlines came to join and most were very good pilots who had given themselves a quantam leap as far as salary and life style was concerned. The package at GF was infinitely better than the one Silk Air is offering but there may just be some guys from lower paid operators who would find the terms and conditions attractive enough to move, not many but there are always some!

[highcirrus]

BlueEagle

Re: “there may just be some guys from lower paid operators who would find the terms and conditions attractive enough to move, not many but there are always some!”

That is quite correct. Unfortunately, the guys in this sector who might be interested in SIA/Silk Air are making the very grave error of imagining that the spending power generated in their own countries by the Singapore Dollar packages on offer would be similarly generated in Singapore. This is not the case and doubly so for a pilot with a family. It is difficult to imagine how he/she would financially survive in Singapore in these circumstances. But then, of course, Singapore would much prefer the single ex-pat as he/she is much cheaper to employ.

topman999

Re: "Their will be no competition to join Silk Air"....Please! No unemployed western A320 pilots out there wanting a job in Singapore ??? I doubt that somehow. Like I say, let the people head out there for interview etc and let them decide.

I’m not too sure that there are that many “unemployed western A320 pilots” at the moment. The ones who are around will be looking for positions in western carriers rather than considering bringing the family down here for a derisory pittance, paid in a steadily declining Singapore Dollar and having to make ever more expensive monthly mortgage remittances back to the home country plus educate his/her children solely from the resource of the offered package. The only “competition” will be from muddle-headed people who don’t do their financial homework and come to realize the serious position they could end up putting themselves and their families in.

Those of us who have been here for some time (and are still bonded here for the immediate future, prior to our escape) know that SIA/Silk Air do not give a damn about the individual – they are just part of the headcount, to be paid the absolute minimum possible in knowledge of the local cost of living (see comments of Kaptin M above) and to be discarded as soon as they outlive their usefulness (and we’re talking locals here, as well as ex-pats). However, if you’re the guy who knows differently, go ahead and make their day! If you meet their qualifications, get your application in, nobody’s stopping you (though if you are A320 qualified, you’d be much better off applying to Dragonair)!

[knackeredII]

Let me make it simple for you doubters. SilkAir is presently in the process of losing about a quarter of its pilot strength, including the following:

1 Management pilot, 2 Instructors, 2 Line Instructors, several Captains, many First Officers (including all of the Australians)

Of those who stay, many are staying simply because of the bonding arrangement.

All housing allowances have been removed, same for the education allowances. In a bid to stem the flow the hourly pay has been raised but not the basic pay so if you don't fly then you get paid peanuts.

The management has a tendency during negotiations to include Bonuses (not guaranteed - dependant on company performance) etc in the calculation so this is where the figure of $150,000 comes from.

Did they mention the 4 weeks leave? You will only get 2 days off together per fortnight, the other 2 days being single days, usually a buffer between 2 duties to satisfy the FTL.

By all means, go and try it out. Good luck trying to save any money.

[oicur12]

Millerscourt,

Don’t give MI too much credit. They couldn’t “design” a way of pulling piss out of a shoe with instructions. They offer low wages because they think they are savvy businessmen and it saves them a couple of dollars in the short term.

Kaptin,

I have never yet forked out school fees – it makes a big difference in SIN. I would not want to be an FO in Silk with mouths to feed and educate. Burger flipping in Oz would be preferable. No Local nosh for me lah – too many good restaurants serving real food.

Highcirrus,

Some of the muddle headed people you refer to are keen on MI because they are currently being paid LESS, have no chance of command and live in a wonderful location known as Taipei. Or some may be sick of not seeing the family and don’t really want to live in Vietnam by themselves. I know some who are just trying to get a job closer to home than Luton. And it’s warmer and probably nicer in SIN too. Financially, KA is a better package, but not everyone wants to live in the rather un-fragrant harbor. Some don’t necessarily gear their lives to revolve around the almighty dollar. Most importantly, few actually have a choice – you can’t just ring the folks in Dragonairhouse and say, “I’m ready, when should I arrive”.

I sound vaguely like someone defending Silkair and that troubles me but in the real world, everyone has different priorities.

[MigratoryBird]

jstars2 says:
there would have to be an extra S$58,350 earned pa, which equates to S$5,305 per month (11 months flying 1 month leave)

Are you talking about sector pay, hourly rate, etc?

How many flight hours per month? Anyone knows? :confused:

Cheers :ok:

[Touch'n'oops]

Is it so bad from a Single guy's point of view?

[Shaman]

Can any expat working for Silkair kindly confirm whether you are provided with an Employment Pass (P or Q Pass)?

[oicur12]

A lot of the comments posted here from ex Silk guys are based on paying the bills for a family - in many cases with chitlens being educated back in Oz where the conversion hurts.

Being single and free of chitlens makes a huge difference.

They do provide you with a greencard - work permit.

[MigratoryBird]

Thanx Oicur!

I assume that with this pay, pilots can still live a decent life, providing that they adjust the the local culture and terms?

Everything is relative, that is why I try not to open any value judgement on anyone posting on these forums. Every piece of info is valuable, if you can analyse it as objectively as you can... Everyone's reality is different.

I thank you for clarifing further on the subject. Have you seen any of the posts on the other topic concerning SilkAir (ie. selection), and, do you have any recommendation on that? :confused:

Thanks for your help :ok:

[knackeredII]

MB, what position are you inquiring about - Capt or F/O?

Are you sure you're after an objective answer because you seem to be favouring replies that favor what you want to hear?

[MigratoryBird]

Knackered:
Well, I have read the posts on this forum, and I am quite aware that there are plenty of negative views on the SQ/SilkAir situation.

From experience I know that not everything is negative, and answers to the matter in question depend on points of view/general situation/perception, or however you might want to call it.

Sorry if you think I am favouring a specific kind of answer. I am just trying to see if in anyone's view, there is anything positive about Silkair. :confused:

To make a future decision, it would be nice for me to have views on both sides of the argument (if by any chance this is possible).

Thanks for taking your time to answer my post. BTW, it is for a Captain position.

Cheers

MigBird :ok:

[The Prisoner]

How far does your money go in Singapore? Well, unless you are plannin on walkin to the airport, then you'll need some wheels. Not too old, though cos it will have to start in 't mornin. OK, 2 year old Toyota should be ok.... maybe 20,000 Sin dollar? Nope, try 70,000, thats a years basic pay. And the cost of gas...get my drift?
But hey, maybe MI guys go on the bus, cos the place you will be renting will probably have HDB in it somewhere.But were'nt we talkin standard of livin here? With no houseing allowance you will feel disgruntled when you find that the majority of expats you associate with do have large housing allowance. You will feel unhappy, and will start to look at flight back page again....which is what got you into the mess in the first place.

[b777pilot]

after all the info gathering,

if you apply and get the position,

pls don't change your nick and bitch about the very same things that we warned you.

i think that would be very stale. we have heard it so many times before.

you sound like you've been around the block a couple of times, surely you can sense the underlying tone of this thread??

[oicur12]

migratory bird,

In order to gleen usefull information about employment with MI, one has to establish your position.

Are you A320 rated. How many hours. What do you fly now and where. How expensive is the cost of living where you live. Have you visited singapore or Asia. What do you hope to achieve. Where do you want to go professionally. Do you have kids, do you like driving flash cars.

Your answers may indicate that flying for MI is not for you. Some of the posts on this thread may be a hint.

However, you may find MI is an upgrade from your current position - who knows.

I suspect that many of the posters here know little about you and what you are looking for.

They will have a different perspective than yours.

[Touch'n'oops]

Just bear in mind that the Taxis in Singapore very cheap and if you can't get one (When it rains), the buses work... Sometimes!!!;)