CEP programs...gone for good?

[Lil'KiwiPaddy]

Hi All,

I am currently conducting preliminary research for a uni project and I would like to gather opinions on whether or not you all think airlines like BA and Aer Lingus and Air France will ever recruit junior pilots the way they used to when times were better.

I read a comment recently by a gent fom Bae flight training in the most recent issue of flight that I can get me mitts on down here (2-8 April) saying that he thought "western european airlines ...may no longer be able to afford the luxury" with regard to ab-initio training. Various people I've asked seem to think that full sponsorship has been and gone, and that partial sponsorship is the future.

Do you think that when airlines do start recruiting junior pilots again that they will take a very different approach to hiring?

Will we now see more programs like the BA self sponsored program and the BE/Air2k/KLM partial sponsorship becoming more prominent?

Or, is it all just idle conjecture and once the airlines have absorbed all the experienced pilots will it just return to the way it used to be?

I know it's asking for pure speculation, but I'd love to hear all opinions.

Thanks

LKP
:D

[N380UA]

Lil'KiwiPaddy

A rather good question! History shows that Airlines almost never do what’s in their best, operational interest but instead what’s cheapest. As such, most airlines have either too many pilots or not enough pilots (likewise engineers or ground agents). In fact, the entire industry operates like that. It seems as though there is no foresight at all that’s why this industry is so cyclic.

In my opinion, yes!, airlines will again run CEP programs as things pick up. In the past, a lot of new entries came from the military. As this becomes less viable due to MCC considerations (and a general reduction in the armed forces), airlines are more likely to hire non-service folks. But where to get them? Either an airline will train them or they’re self sponsored.

I’d say that the future will bear less self sponsored pilots as the road to a frozen ATPL is very stony and above all very expansive - and on the other hand the flying job is over all loosing its sex appeal.

Just consider a young fellow pilot who has just spend around 50’000£, may even have a wife and a kid to support, working a local, low paying commuter earning around 1500£. Most of that money is going straight back to the bank the rest is rent and a second job is food and other essentials. (Been there, done that)

As prospective new pilots are making that analysis, under consideration of workload, family sacrifices etc. most will say “it’s not worth it, I’ll just do some private flying and enjoying a Piper or Cessna”. Therefore, but only after the airlines realize that they are running out of pilots (hence the next shortage), CEP programs will be reinstated and will be the general means of selecting, securing and hire procedure of new entries.

[UKflyer]

Lil'KiwiPaddy

Why not go straight to the airlines themselves. If this is for your dissertation, i am sure BA and others will be willing to help as i did my research on flightdeck automation and got a good response from them.

You could conduct quesionnaires or interviews with the recruitment (HR) department to find out for sure what the situation is.

I am sure however, that the short term does not look very promising for these schemes as it is mostly higher cost airlines that conduct them (not low-cost like easyjet), who are having to reduce costs drastically in response to a slow down in passenger numbers.

Good luck