Star Air (Maersk Air)

[slam dunk 4]

Hi Guys,

I am looking for some insider info about Star Air!
Anyone here who is flying for them?

I would like to know, if they are hiring some pilots this year?
How is usual working schedule for pilots?
Do pilots need a jet backround to be hired?
How is payment and taxation made? How much work and how much money(net) possible?

thinks like that....

would be great...

just slam it

[Sid Starz]

I'd like to know too... any one able to help?

[Rock_On]

Qualification requirements for Flight Crew
http://www.starair.com/index.pl?id=2762&isa=Category&op=show

http://www.pilotjobsnetwork.com/factfile.php?id=ap7h6s426hsmafqtfb6g8teu5y5r9nk70havz4mu5023 5fm8fec

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Air_(Maersk_Air)

[slam dunk 4]

ok that's easy to find!

I would like to have some insider info. is the job only at night? any long range flights by now? what to expect net at the end of a month? is it worth to leave a company after 9 years?

cheers

[Tugging Pilot]

I would also like to know some info. I have looked on ppjn and Starair's website - to no avail.

I know what it is like to do night time cargo flying. What I would really like to know is what the shift system is like... again... I don't mean what is on ppjn. Do you go away with the aircraft for a few days or do you always get back to Cologne every morning? I would also like to know where they fly to.......

Please somebody help us.

Tugs.

[BossyAussy]

"STAR Air" is what Orex Cargo is calling itself now that the nasty truth about them has got out onto the PPrune airwaves.

I have a very close friend who told me that he was only paid for 11 days out of the first 71 days at work. He and his crew finally refused to move the plane until they received payment. The company was forced to pay them in order to get the plane back to Macedonia, then they were fired because they "couldn't be trusted".

Stay away unless you want to work for free.

If you don't care how much it costs you to work there, go for it.

[DYT]

Star Air has a non-disclosure clause in their contract. Nobody knows the legal extend of this clause so the the policy adopted by the employees is: no infos to the public on internal matters whatsoever.

Some infos has escape over the years:

It is 99.9% night freight. Good reputation for maintaining their planes to a high standard and claims to be the best on-time performer of all UPS subcontractors. That could be true as they gott a 10 year contract with UPS covering 11 pieces of 767s back in 2005 .

Routes are in and out of the UPS hub in CGN and only to points in Europe.

Schedule-wise a week starts Monday (0001 UTC!) and is mostly 1 day (24 hrs) on, then 1 day off because of flight time limitations (but still a working day), then 1 day on, 1 day off, then 1 day on - alternating with a week of flying Tuesday + Thursday with some stand-bys thrown in. Subpart Q will probably be changing that picture slightly on some routes.

Schedules are basically 5+2 modified to accommodate a total of 150 off-days/year (incl. 5 weeks holiday).

No flying Saturdays and Sundays.

Every 25th day they have 4 consecutive days off, if they fall on workdays they will often fill the week with one of your "loose" off-days - now and then you end up with 7-9 days off in a row.

You will need some kind of housing arrangement while in CGN as you are required to show up 45 minutes after being called - hotels become impossible to get and extremely expensive during the frequent "Köln Messe" expositions.

Commuting was straight forward with ID on most carriers until October -05 when Star Air was separated from Maersk Air which was sold to a third party = no ID-tickets to Star Air employees.

The termination of Maersk Air caused large changes within Star Air as a lot of maintenance and administrative functions used to be done in Maersk Air. Star Air will continue as an independent Maersk company.

Pay is sort of high-end industry standard + 12% retirement + LoL of 10 years on 50% of gross salary. Tax is in Denmark - no way around it.

Most pilots hired for the past 10 years are civilian trained - nowadays with JAA CPL+ME I/R and 1000+ hrs total.

Promotions is on seniority.

Star Air top management was known for an unpleasant attitude and outright rude behavior towards crews. Result is 100% unionization. However, new CEO from June 2008.....

Because of the Maersk Line connection [huge Danish shipping and oil conglomerate] people tend to think that this could develop into a wold-wide operation. Reality is that they have been doing nothing but the UPS contract for the past 15 years. That means a very static situation until 2015 if they don't change the UPS contract before.

www.ppjn.com (http://www.ppjn.com/) is normally up-to-date on Star Air stuff.

[tbavprof]

You might want to check the Orex (http://www.pprune.org/freight-dogs/331557-orex-cargo-istanbul.html) post before you get too excited.

[MaxBlow]

tbavprof,

Star Airlines (Orex) in Macedonia and the other Starair (Maersk) are not the same. Far from it and a difference like day and night. Not to be compared.

[dusk2dawn]

Wut is a predictive index test?

Never mind - I don't think you have to worry about Star Air for the next 18 months approximately.

[act700]

I think we need to speak clearer! Let's call Star Air that shady outfit out of Macedonia, and let's call the "good" Star Air: Maersk Air.

Cause I'm getting lost. Good post on the Maersk StarAir, thx DYT.

Anyway, also curious about the AP Moeller test. Anyone?

[airslave]

Make a google search on wonderlic

[dusk2dawn]

act700, Maersk Air died in 2005. Maersk is alive and kicking.

lindazut, working for Star Air in Germany you will pay tax in Denmark as per the double-taxation agreement. And you will be taxed!

[Gwan man]

lindazut,

thx very much for your insight.
May I ask you to give some examples of questions asked in the AP moller test ?

What is your background for having been called for the selection ?
Many thanks

[CGN32R]

@ lindazut:

If it is true what I heared, congrats to the new job...!

[Gwan man]

lindazut,

Congrats man!

i've currently 4000 - turboprops - Happy with my lot in my present company. I'm just trying to identify opportunities elsewhere that could be interesting type-wise.

Did you have any jet experience at all before applying ?

Cheers

[lindazut]

haha thanks! I've 3000+ hrs total and 1000 hrs jet.
good luck;)

[PW2040]

Hej Linda.

Congrats, I cross my fingers with regard to the course, I look forward to fly with you....:D

Regards,
PW2040

[A10Warthog]

May I ask you to give some examples of questions asked in the AP moller test ?

What is your background for having been called for the selection ?
Many thanks:ok:

[PW2040]

Hi Warthog.

As I imagine that you are danish, the A.P.Møller test is more or less the same IQ test that you have dealt with on "session til værnepligt", of course if you joined that one :ok:

Greetings,
PW2040

[A10Warthog]

Takker!
Hva slags erfaring bør du ha før du er intressant hos star air?

[PW2040]

Hi A10.

Im actually not sure at the moment, but as far as I know the next course in april consists of experienced pilots from Sterling ( Maersk Air ), LTU and the dutch Lady.

But else it has been a mix between very experienced pilots and low hours, so what the company excactly wants, I do not know.

Greetings,
PW2040

[steve waterhouse]

The Predictive Index is a behavioral assessment that helps companies identify people who would be a good fit for a position. It is a simple assessment to take and can be done in about 10 minutes. There is no prep required and there is really no right answer or way to predict how the companies wants you to answer. The best way to take the Predictive Index (http://www.predictiveresults.com) is honestly. I included a link to our PI site. We only serve companies in Florida, so I am not soliciting here.

[turboV1]

Is the recruitment ongoing? or else, is it plan to be resumed any time soon?

[dusk2dawn]

I checked their site and they are recruiting again.

What you see is a website which has not been updated for years.....
Looks like new NPH FltOps is filling up with his old friends.

I was wondering what the future has in store for these guys.
Is it true that the UPS contracts end in 2015?

Present lease(s) terminates i 2015-17. Negotiations are taking place. It could be [very] good or it could be [very] bad, but neither UPS nor Maersk negotiates in public.

If so what is your outlook on Star Air regarding the fact UPS took over TnT.

TNT = no change for Star Air.

Positive or negative for third party companies like Star Air?

Depends entirely on how the US-EU airtransport agreement develops.

[The Flying Cokeman]

Not having updated the website would explain why they have not mentioned the new requirement that you have to be an ex Cimber pilot and must be a brown noser-loyal to the ex Cimber head of operations junta who now happens to be the new head of operations in Starair in order to get the job :bored:

[CGN32R]

"Not having updated the website would explain why they have not mentioned the new requirement that you have to be an ex Cimber pilot and must be a brown noser-loyal to the ex Cimber head of operations junta who now happens to be the new head of operations in Starair in order to get the job"

Uuuh, that's a bad comment...
...but it seems to be come true...

[CGN32R]

"****ty pay due to some new high tax **** in Denmark"

Not at the moment. Only if new Danish law becomes voted through. For now, pay is excellent, especially for FO's (5,5 - 7 € net)

"Night flying"

Yes!

"Bad atmosphere"

Yes! Since new CEO is in charge.

"uncertain future at the time..."

Yes! Due to fact that current contract only last till 2015/16.

[Metallica Rules]

"During 2003 Star Air and UPS entered into a new contractual agreement for the next 10 years. From 2005 Star Air gradually placed 11 Boeing 767SF (Special Freighter) in service with UPS. The 757PFs was returned to UPS."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Air_(Maersk_Air)

Granted, you cannot trust Wikipedia all the time, but that artical suggests the contract is up next year 2013.

[Metallica Rules]

Thought it was a 10 year contract signed in 2003??

[dusk2dawn]

There is a 10 year lease on each aircraft.

[Brix]

I presume there's a lot of money in the background.

Regarding the sloppy typos on their website I come to the conclusion that it's the usual situation: they require a lot from their applicants, but are unable to reach a minimum standard themselves.

[trancada]

Any news about them? Are they recruiting?

[Easyheat]

Sorry guys, not to divert from the subject, but how does it work, if living in Denmark and start working in Cologne, regarding the mandatory social contributions? I heard it is more than 1000 € pr month.

Will there be any recruitment in Cologne after MAC started in Billund?