SAA to hire over 100 pilots in the next 12 months

[TooBadSoSad]

SAA has authorised flight operations to maintain total pilot strength of 768 pilots. At current, SAA has 733 pilots with 5 due to retire before year end. Add to this the 15+ pilots who are about to leave for Australia plus many others who have slots at Jade, Emirates and Cathay, to name a few, and the total starts to approach 60, 65, 70, 75??? Then the Chief Pilot / Dir. of Flt Ops mentioned that the 3 x B738 and 3 x A330 aircraft the airline has now been authorised to lease over the next 12 months will require 60 additional pilots!! So where does that take the total to - 120, 130, 140??

Problem is, it does not seem that South African pilots at other carriers are that keen to move to SAA anymore. This will certainly change South Africa's pilot job market dynamics for some time to come!!

[Q4NVS]

Problem is, it does not seem that South African pilots at other carriers are that keen to move to SAA anymore.

Do you blame them...?

[Avi8tor]

Problem is, it does not seem that South African pilots at other carriers are that keen to move to SAA anymore. I dont know many people back home that would NOT join SAA. SAA salaries are still way above the national average.

[cavortingcheetah]

:hmm:

This is not intended to start an inflamatory discussion although feedback of a sensible nature would perhaps provide a link with reality?
It is almost certainly true to say that, especially if balanced against international cost of living indices, South African Airways pilots are probably the best paid in the world as employees of a national carrier.
Furthermore, it would seem as though SAA has been quite flexible, certainly in past cases, in allowing its pilots to live outside South Africa. Australia springs to mind as one classic example of this.
There are of course many low time South African pilots living in the country who would dearly like to sign up with the flyiing Springbok. One meets them all the time at flight schools and training centres. One has to suspect that part of the national carrier's present pilot shortage is caused more by poorly planned political expediency than by rational thought and foresight. Is there not a danger here that SAA will be forced out of necessity to recruit short term pilots from overseas or up continent, who will then, one way or the other, remain with SAA on renegotiated contracts to the detriment of the local young pilot employment pool. One does after all, only have to visit the CAA on an occasion or two to find African pilots, clutching, in particular, blue British licences, obtaining South African validations, in one particular case in mind, to fly for a jet operator based at FALA.:hmm::suspect:

[skychick2]

My 2 cents on SAA crew needs.

SAA will never run out of local pilots as the other airlines in SA will have crew that will just be to happy to join,even if it's for one reason only(no....not more money) and that's to get a rating on something that they might feel they need to get out of SA,because ain't that what the average pilot at SAA is busy with.........to get a backdoor open?? A very sad,but real fact at the moment.
Also now that the newbees suppose to go straight onto the domestic fleets(A319 or B738)the rating and experience comes from day one. This is just the way I see it, and of course we all got different ideas on the current situation at SAA and SA.Sorry drifting of the topic''100 joining''.........heard that one also a number of times at SAA before.Well I hope there is truth in it this time round.

[KTM XCW 300]

I agree with Skychick. The bottom line is it will be great for all concerned if this kind of expansion takes place in our local industry. Some folks waiting for a command at SAA, some waiting for a start at SAA (even if it is only for a free rating), and all of this creates movement all down the food chain creating oppertunities for all and allowing us to bleat for more money etc. come sallary negotiation time. What this kind of movement will do is create huge pressure for SAX, COMAIR, NATIONWIDE, LINK etc. in the near future trying to SAFELY crew flights. In the longer term, that pressure will also effect SAA as most of the new joiners will arrive with less and less experience and are also not looking at SAA as a long term career, as people did in the past, so finding commanders in the future is going to be interisting. I guess that is symtomatic of most indutries in SA at the moment. GOOD LUCK

[Malloy]

There will be no shortage of applicants. Think how many of us are on contracts all over Africa, Asia, and the Middle East and would like to come home for some stability. Obviously the guys with EK or CX aren't going to put their apps in but there are hundreds of high time Springbok aviators with experience in everything from 1900s to 737s to business jets to m ilitary who will be looking at SAA quite closely.

[Q4NVS]

1900s to 737s to business jets to military who will be looking at SAA quite closely.

The question remains: Will SAA be willing to look at you closely...?
(No disrespect intended - rather just not convinced that the industry as a whole in SA recognises the situation that is developing)

:zzz:

[busmonkey]

Someone mentioned that lots of okes are going to Australia, anyone know how they are backdooring it? The resident issue?

[flyknight]

Someone mentioned that lots of okes are going to Australia, anyone know how they are backdooring it? The resident issue?


jetstar taking guys with Airbus exp, enter via temp Visa 457

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=317096

[KTM XCW 300]

This is a little off the topic of this thread, but folks have been accepted at Jet Star, Surveillance Australia, Q-Link starting interviews in SA shortly as well as Skippers, National Jet and Rex all talking to SA pilots and sorting out the processes of getting pilots in to work for them. The crissis in the Zuma Zone is looming large.

[rick.shaw]

So this is the 'temporary' visa that allows Yarpies into Oz to save the airlines having to pay decent money to encourage people to become pilots in the first place? This is such political(read: let's protect big business) bull crap....

[Q4NVS]

rick.shaw

And so is your "Location"...Capitalist are you? :ugh:

rick.shaw said:
Don't give a shyte. I have my 777 AND airbus ratings! Free! The 777 rating alone must be worth AUD40K. To me, that's an investment in my future. Here's to MY bonus!

And now you want others to feel sorry for YOU?
(Btw, there is a dedicated Jet* thread)

:} :hmm: :oh: :zzz:

[Shrike200]

Yeah, gotta love the irony in that post - 'You guys suck for taking jobs in another country, get out!', posted from.......Hong Kong, by somebody who is clearly not Chinese. Duh!

I suppose it should be spelled 'Jaapies' as well...nice to know we have a nickname somewhere!

[flux]

Thanks for pointing that out Q4NVS! I am amazed at how the Ausies jump on us for :mad:ing up their market, when Africa (Through SA operators) has been riddled with them and Kiwis for years. They come here and are willing to work for peanuts to get their hours up, while a lot of Saffirs are doing that same contract job for a living because our aviation sector is so small. Now before it seems like I am bleating about nothing, I have never had much to say about that, and still dont. Neither have I heard a collegue bitch about it. We all understand that we have all had to make a start somewhere, and you do what you have to do. Our political and safety issues here are foremost, and I garantee you none of the guys going would not have left SA if given a choice. So dry your eyes, enjoy the Trip seven, and afford our guys and girls the same courtesey as they have given the guys from your neck of the woods.

[rick.shaw]

Aw - busted...

[hawk-eyes]

Rick.Shaw - 'Aw - busted...'

That's funny. Had a good laugh.:}

[VortexGen300]

I'm amazed how this came about?

The thread started as stating that SAA are employing a number of pilots in the near future - and somehow we are now discussing the odds and evens of the levels of flight to Australia??

Never a dull moment on PPRUNE!

My impression from the add's were that the airlines (I saw the REX add) from down under were even prepared to "sponsor" the applicant if they qualify! So the process is straight and simple!

Stirred

VG300

[davidjh]

That being said, what can a new hire (possibly) direct entry F/O or S/O expect to earn? I hear that there is a "B" scale salary now.

[JET-UP-SET]

Why the hell join Spoories (SAA), if there are so much out there, that are Rape Free,High-Jack Free, Race Free,Tax Free and you don't have to be a P3 going on P2 for the next 100 years with thousands of hours on +80ton Jets (Nogal P1/PI) just because you like Braai(BBQ), Rugby and Sunny skies??????

:{ The Beloved Airline!!! NO MORE!!!:E

:O Long live the "Sandpit", "Chinatown","Bollywood",the rest of the world and as Far East as you can go!

[SortieIII]

This thread proves that if you want reliable information about a topic, PPrune is unlikely to be the place that you will find it.:hmm:

[TwinJock]

Interesting!

What should be remembered though if you use SAA as a stepping stone - p2 and p3 hours are next to worthless in any other setup!

Get command hours asap - how long before command at SAA? 10 years or more! These days it takes a little longer to the left seat at Comair/1 Time/NTW, but the hours are worth something.

[Greeson]

What should be remembered though if you use SAA as a stepping stone - p2 and p3 hours are next to worthless in any other setup!

Sorry I must have missed the part where foreign operators were overlooking SAA P2's so they can get their hands on a 1Time or Nationwide captain.
Tell me, what awesome jobs are P1's on MDs getting that the poor P2 saps at spoories aren't.
Interesting sidebar, at least two (that I know of) of the recent candidates interviewed this week are returnee's from the desert.