Virgin Atlantic Launches Recruitment Drive

[obiukwu]

This is from the VS press office

Virgin Atlantic Airways today announced that it plans to recruit 1400 staff over the next twelve months. The recruitment drive has been triggered by the planned launch of new routes to new destinations like Sydney, Cuba and The Bahamas coupled with an increase in services to existing destinations like Boston, Washington, New York and the Caribbean. The planned increase in the airline’s fleet is also a contributing factor, with three more A340-600 aircraft due to enter service in each of the next two years.. The new positions are mainly operational staff with as many as 700 cabin crew positions, 70 flight deck and 300 at Heathrow and Gatwick airport, including many new engineering positions. Around 300 staff will be required at Virgin Atlantic’s headquarters and in office-based positions. Virgin Atlantic currently employs approximately 7500 staff worldwide. Advertising for vacant positions will start immediately.

Sir Richard Branson, Chairman of Virgin Atlantic, commented;

“I am delighted to be able to announce this recruitment drive for fourteen hundred staff. Virgin Atlantic is entering a period of significant expansion with new routes, more capacity on existing routes and new aircraft. The next year promises to be an exciting one not only for Virgin Atlantic, but also for any new recruits joining the company.

“The airline can offer fantastic opportunities to all successful applicants. We know that its through creating a culture where people love to work that we’ll build an airline which people love to fly.”
Things aren't looking so bad anymore.:ok:

[energiser]

Hurrah!:D

Hopefully my feet will soon find the shallow end of the pool after 6 months treading water.

Things are looking good :cool:

[ojs]

Interesting too that he's considering either 777's or A340-600's...

Whatever happened to "4 engines for long-haul" ?!

[BTB]

Most of Virgins recruits are coming from the fastest growing airline in europe. Best that airline sorts outs it`s pay and conditions package soonest to keep it`s excellently trained pilots to crew it`s lovely new jets! The reason why orange pilots are so sought after is because of the superb (and expensive) training they recieve. ;)

[paddygee]

Who knows, there's hope for us 30 something wannabees, who can fill the slots left open by others leaving.......

[Pnooze]

Not all of the new recruits are coming from a superb and expensive training enviroment.
Virgin has traditionally spread it's recruitment around a bit, to avoid any cliques becoming established. I spoke to some recruitment people the other day, where it became apparent that 70 pilots could come from as many as 20 sources, with possibly as little as 10 from any one background. A course of 8 starting next month come 7 airlines/RAF, with several non-Brits joining. Having said that, i am sure that there will be some coming on board from orange land, who will be v welcome and i am sure will enjoy a change of scenery. :D

[Man Flex]

Whatever happened to "4 engines for long-haul" ?!

Errr... unless I'm seriously mistaken then the A340-600 does have four engines!

Five if you include the APU!

[srjumbo]

Err....... unless I'm seriously mistaken the 777 only has two!

[brakedwell]

Why not split the difference and get MD11's.

[M.85]

Brakedwell,

Thats what I call CRM!

Well done and keep the good work,

Happy Flying,

M.85

[Rocco in Budapest]

What are the command prospects at Virgin and how long do you get to sit in the right seat before given a chance in the left? Also, what is the total take home pay for a new FO? Any input from the local crowd would be well appreciated.

[Joe Monsoon]

What are the chances of a none EU on getting in:{

[wheelbarrow]

Rocco,

If you are thinking of joining Virgin prepare yourself for a wait for at least 15 years for a command.

There are still "ex" Captains that lost their commands after 9/11 waiting to get their commands back, then there are the 250+ F/O's that are also waiting their turn. To add to that there are some colleugues that took the offer of unpaid leave to come back. Also some of those that were made redundant still have not been offered their positions back as was agreed.

Add to that the fact that the average age on Captains is around 45 then you will see that there is no projected promotion bulge for quite a few years.

So all in all it will be a long time before anyone joining now even gets a sniff at command. If you want the LHS look elsewhere!

[Dan Winterland]

Agreed. When I left 18 months ago, Virgin had 23 aircraft operating. Based on 8 crews per airframe, there would have had to an expansion in the order of another thirty aircraft for my command to be reality. Bear in mind that a lot of ultra long haul flights have more than 2 crew, three FOs to the one Captain isn't unusual. The airline doesn't have a ratio of one FO for every Captain like a charter or low cost operator.

I have heard that the airline is still quoting about seven years to command at interviews. Utter nonesence in my humble opinion.

[Maxfli]

4 waiting to jump from shamrock - all mainlanders
A340s / Long haul / less money but less grief - good luck to them

[scroggs]

Actually, Dan and Wheelbarrow, I think you overstate the case. All of those who were removed from commands post 9/11 will be back in the LHS by May. There are actually very few people still to return from unpaid leave There will be approximately 30 new commands this year and, as we are now looking at a fleet of 60 aircraft by 2010 (Virgin press release last week), there should be in the region of 240-300 new commands between now and then. There won't be many retirements before that date, but after 2010 Virgin's pilot workforce will begin to show a similar age-related turnover to most airlines (though new legislation may delay that for all EU airlines).

While command at Virgin is never going to return to the <3 years it was in the early days (when even a single new aircraft would represent a huge percentage increase in commands), it is still likely to be faster than it is at BA and other mature airlines whose fleets are unlikely to expand greatly. I would guess that a sensible estimate is between 7 and 10 years until a command at Virgin at the moment.

[ManagedNav]

This is a little off topic but I was wondering if Anyone has heard any more news on Virgin USA.....

Will they offer US bases to people already on the seniority list or will they run it as a seperate airline and hire all new people?

[Trolle]

I don't work for Virgin, however I have been trying to follow Virgin's entrance into the US market as much as possible. I am doubtful that positions in the new organization would go to other's than US citizens. Simply because Virgin is limited to owning 25% of the company and the pilots would most likely have to be FAA certified to fly N-registered aircraft. Of course, UAL did have a pilot base briefly in the UK, however that was according to terms agreed to by the two governments.

How did it work when Blue was started?

[scroggs]

Virgin USA (or whatever it will be called) is nothing to do with Virgin Atlantic, and will have no staff in common - just like Virgin Blue and Virgin Express (though Blue and Atlantic have a small cabin-crew exchange program). The philosphies and procedures of lo-cost shorthaul and premium-service longhaul are pretty incompatible.

The airline ownership rules in the USA are under discussion at the moment, and may allow a greater percentage of foreign ownership before long. That said, it seems certain that the Virgin USA airline will be majority US-owned (though some of the shareholders may themselves be part owned by Virgin....!). The flight deck staff will have to be FAA-licenced (the aircraft will have to be N-reg), but there may well be some green-card-holding Brits elsewhere in the airline.

[Dan Winterland]

Virgin Atlantic is the airline division of the Virgin brandname - a brand which thrives and feeds on publicity. Expansion? We've heard it before. The Washington route has now been announced twice and the much feted Grenada and Tobago route turned out to be one flight a week. Sydney? Only with EU approval.

So, I for one would take the press release figure of 60 aircraft by 2010 with a large pinch of salt. However, I'm hoping it's true, both for the industry and for my mates at Virgin who have been dealt a harsh blow in the last three years. I would love to be proved wrong, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Ricky Butcher]

60 aircraft by 2010? Do me a favour! Where on earth does he think he'll get the slots at LHR or LGW to double the airlines daily movements? What's the odds on him announcing a 30 aircraft order which is actually a single figure of purchases and the remainder options which are never exercised?

[scroggs]

Dan, the Grenada/Tobago route was never going to start at a greater frequency than once a week! Even Barbados, St Lucia and Antigua were no more than twice a week when they started. As for the second Washington, it was cancelled post 9/11. Now there the market has returned, it is on again at three times weekly. What would you have us do - fly empty aeroplanes around? That's a great way to get us a long-term future! I don't know what the hold-up with the EU approval of Sydney is, but, as with all things to do with the EU, I would imagine it's simply beureaucracy as all the inter-governmental negotiations are complete.

As for the 60 aircraft ambition, Mr Butcher, who knows whether it will be fulfilled? A great many things can happen in 6 years in aviation - just look back over the last 6! However, slots at Heathrow are tradeable - Virgin has bought quite a few in the last year. Gatwick is not slot-critical, though it will be again before long. Again, slots can and will be bought. Other UK airports will hopefully also be brought into the equation - and then there is the mythical 'merger' with BMI.... As for 'options that are never exercised' - we've just exercised two on A340-600s. I reckon there will be more.

Thing is, no one's betting any money on your crystal ball!

[warkman]

Quote "This is a little off topic but I was wondering if Anyone has heard any more news on Virgin USA....."

Isn't there talk of Branson tying up with a US airline? I think I heard it was US Airways
I hope this link still works

http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/084/business/Virgin_USA_may_partner_with_US_Airways+.shtml

Also rumors are that either SFO or BOS will be the carriers home base

[honey737]

I'm wondering what is the money like in Virgin?

Dose anybody now that and what benefits they have?

[crewrest]

Honey; Click Here (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=114699) for all that sort of stuff, scroggs is doing a great job there too. ;)

[Pnooze]

Apparently the Sydney route is looking a bit iffy, as the EU are not happy with things. The sticking point seems to be that in order for Virgin to operate to SYD via HKG with 5th freedoms, we had to give up a slot at LHR to Cathay to have 5th freedoms to JFK from LHR. The people in Brussels are apparently saying that if CX can do that then why not allow KLM or AF to operate trans-atlantic from London. I will watch and wait with interest.
As far as time to command goes, the people doing their left seat now have been in about 8 years, which will stretch out in my opinion to 12-14 years for people joining now. Looking at the age demographics, guys joining in about 5 years, will probably wait 8-10 years, but who really knows?

[midman]

Don't just look at the pay - look at lifestyle and also the company as a whole!

[alternatelaw]

Honey 737 yep
No social life no regular sleep pattern and staying in your room on trips as you can't afford to go out. Enjoy the benefits!!!
Uncle Alt

[Rocco in Budapest]

Wheelbarrow,

With 60 new airlplanes by 2010, however silly that may sound to some, I would have thought that the time to command would be within 5-10 years. Is that a bit too optimistic? Anyway, others have responded with negatives such as staying in the hotel room due to lack of funds...what exactly is the take home pay for a first year FO?

Thanks

[Bob Upndown]

No-one is at VS for the money. The day Mrs Bob and I start a family is the day that I'll probably have to move on.................:{

Even after 8 years, the lifestyle, the fantastic people you work with and the overall experience is what I'm still here for :D

[scroggs]

Pnooze Interesting snippet there on Sydney - I was beginning to get the feeling that the Cathay connection could be a problem..... However, these things have been sorted before and probably will again.

Virgin dosh Check www.ppjn.com for a reasonably accurate picture of Virgin's pay rates. While they don't match BA (but then we don't work as hard), they're better than most other UK airlines. I can't comment on comparisons with other likely employers, such as the Gulf airlines, Singapore, Cathay and others, but I dare say you'll find info on them also at PPJN.

On 2003/4 rates, an FO with 5 years experience will clear about 3100GBP/month after tax/NI, but before pension contributions (co. pays 15% if you pay >6%), and will get approximately $100/day expenses (after tax) when down route. Loss of licence, Permanent Health Insurance (i.e. critical illness cover), private health cover and death in service cover are all included, at or about (UK) industry-standard levels.