Curious what you're company has done with you due ash cloud?

[Desk-pilot]

I'm curious what line companies are taking with employees impacted by the ash cloud. My UK based regional is putting crews on standby for the duration of their original duties. Seems a bit petty minded if you ask me when a lot of goodwill might have been garnered if they'd said - have a RDO as we won't need you today...

I mean standby for what exactly?? Unless I'm going to fly an airliner in UK airspace VFR with no ATC just what exactly am I standing by for??

So what are other companies doing?

Desk-pilot

[WaterMeths]

After reporting this morning (05:10z) was stood down - hence rest of the day off. Applied to all crews on the morning flights.

Cheers

WM

[DRM1973]

Was due to fly between Ireland and London this evening, now on standby. Looks like tomorrow could be a non runner too.

[redsnail]

Today is Day 1 and yesterday the brief said "Standby at Rest location". Aka home as I was at my Gateway.

[Jump Complete]

Probably just the easiest way to put it in the computer. Guess if crewing start putting days-off on your roster it will deduct a leave day or salary. Suppose it depends on the individual situation (its day 1 of 2 days off for me today anyway) but if I was put on standby I wouldn't worry about it and just go to the pub or go out for the day if thats what you want to do. You ain't going anywhere, are you?

[FL370 Officeboy]

Well I also work for a large UK based regional and was on my way to the airport and got a call from crewing saying I might as well go back home and get back in bed. The crewing officer told me what the situation was and that I was being shown as being on standby but the chance of me being called was zero so enjoy a bonus day off.

For those that were on their way to report or had already reported it wouldn't be good practice to show them as off when they had already made their way. Also, first thing the situation is being updated regularly so nothing wrong in keeping the crews on standby should the situation change and all hands on deck needed.

Just enjoy the extra time at home....no need to moan about everything! :ok:

[bfisk]

Our schedule is 7 consecutive days on 12 hour on-airport standby, currently on day 2 of the period, and we haven't heard anything. So technically we are still on duty, but it doesn't really matter. We're not going anywhere :)

[DutchBird-757]

We got the call at 0355z not to check in and remain in bed and have a breakfast whenever we'd like. Taxi arranged for 0800z to bring all of us home and then stood down. I'm supposed to fly the next two days but that's obviously not gonna happen. Putting us on standby for friday is useless. Maybe not so for saturday.

[Aussie]

Check in at 0440z today, sent home, off untill further notice. Same went for the other crews operating today :ok:

[The_Fat_Flyer]

Supposed to check in @ 0605z yesterday - picked up a rolling delay of 'next information at....' until finally told I wasn't flying but keep my phone on until the original off duty time of 1655z incase they had changes for the weekend.

Spoke to crewing this morning (when the airspace was scheduled to open an 1800z) to see what was happening and they said they had given up planning until they had a definite answer but all flights yesterday (major UK charter) had been cancelled and this morning's were planned for this evening.

BALPA agreed scheduling agreements also suspended until normality resumed so CAP371 rostering.

[acepilotmurdock]

My friend who is dispatcher at Manchester airport said a Thomas Cook A330 Capt requested push back and start for VFR to Ireland and to file a flight plan from Ireland to the Dominican!!

[36050100]

Original roster was for home sby on thurs, fri and sat. Not heard anything from crewing !

Logbook up to date, cars washed, also enjoyed the recordings of the F1 practice sessions from Shanghai.

Keeping calm and carrying on :ok:

Got many colleagues stuck downroute who should be home for days off. My commiserations to them and others in the same boat.

[luddite]

Due to report at 0715Z yesterday, spoke to crewing at 0645 who said not to bother, they'd tell the computer that I'd reported and been stood down. Today should have been on standby 03 -10, changed to 07 - 10 last night after first wave cancelled. Tomorrow, Sun and Mon days off...
Any bets on whether I'll get to fly Tuesday??
:ugh: :confused:

[Todders]

Previous roster canceled. Off until advised otherwise. It's an aviation bank holiday weekend....:D

[captplaystation]

Just pray the weekend doesn't become a fortnight, or a month (year :uhoh: ) as there might be no job to come back to.

[combineharvester]

I operated 4 sectors friday night! one of only a handful of movements in the Scottish sector i believe. Pleasures of doing mixed pax/freight ops I guess. Seems nearly all other aircrew were in the pub on friday night:cool:

On the plus side Direct routings were not a problem!

[Squealing Pig]

Leave being taken involuntarily from our annual allocation. Can they just do this?

[davidjohnson6]

Squealing - I'm not an employment lawyer, but memory indicates that under UK law, while a company must provide employees with a minimum number of days leave, the company retains the right to direct its employees as to when these days of leave should be taken.

Thus, assuming your contract doesn't say otherwise and is governed by UK law, you may well find that there's not an awful lot you can do about this.

[Paper Lad]

Thu 15th: Reported at 06.00. Told by ops that there were no flights due volcano. Stood down at 08.30.

Fri 16th: Should have been flying but changed to home stanby 05.00-11.00z.
Obviously not called in.

Sat 17th: Rostered to travel to sim for OPC. No flights so home sby for 2hrs

Sun 18th: Sby 06.00-11.00 due to not being in the sim.

Mon 19th: Sby 04.00-11.00 due to not being in the sim. Changed to Day Free Of Duties as there will be no flights at all within our company.

Company has offered unpaid leave for the duration, if anyone is interested. Not sure that there will be many takers:confused:

[Reimers]

Friday being the fifth day into a 6 day trip saw us departing Munich for Malaga as most of the operations were already shutting down. The return flight to Munich that was scheduled the same evening had already been cancelled so we did bring our suitcases.
Arrived at Malaga surrounded by thunderstorms and lots of rain, have been here ever since, but hoping for the weather to improve. We did have some wine the same night but have been put on stand-by saturday night. One idea was to get passengers stranded on the canary islands to spain, but as no coaches/trains available for onward transport, this idea came to nothing. We were too late for tonight's openings into Germany as well, so I guess we will stay put for another couple of days.
Perhaps the fleet manager is willing to discuss medium-term plans tomorrow...

[First.officer]

Tom, tom,tom......tut tut.......i really can't believe that in light of all the current advice and information available that you condone such things...I mean......c'mon......we must not forget about the lap dancing clubs back in the UK as well as downroute !!! hahaha

Now, mortgages.......oh yeh, thats one of those things i can't get !!

:ok:

[Airbus Girl]

We've all been either stood down or put on standby. Also the company asked for volunteers to get the programme back on track when we start flying again. I can understand putting crews on standby because although airspace is closed today, if it re-opened tomorrow then they are going to need to position crews and also notify crews, and having you on standby means they can do that.

[VORDME2]

Good to sleep in my own bed and recover from jetlag....No stby or day off,just no duties.

[MrBenip]

Company been very good to me - even phoning me a couple of days ago at 7.30am to say I had the day off instead of lates.

The only request is being contactable and forfeiting days off to be allocated at a later date. Bloody hell, I'll just be glad to have a job to go back to! Can't say I'm enjoying these nice sunny days off as big storm clouds are brewing!

[Mungo Man]

Curious what you're company has done with you due ash cloud?

Grammar lessons!