Korean Air - Always hiring

[CW247]

For about 5 years now, I get the usual weekly email from a number of agencies looking to hire pilots on behalf of their client Korean. Any experience of Korean, and why have they been hiring continuously for at least the last 5 years?

[fly4more]

try putting a 2 infront of the 5, and thats more like how long they've been recruiting. Or a 3 !

Still, they reject around 80% of initial applicants.

[Private jet]

After a spate of "prangs" years ago, including getting a 747 shot down over Russia they upped their standards, you can't blame them for that, also I guess a lot of people can't hack the Asian "culture" for too long. I don't blame them.

[Watton]

I think the Korean culture is relatively unique and probably quite difficult to deal with.

They went through a phase of bending a few things and the hierarchy in the cockpit was one of the issues - FO's frightened to point out to an older, more senior colleague that he was about to bin it etc

[Hussar 54]

I have a good friend whose son managed to get in as a DEC a couple of years ago when Monarch was on the ropes.

Difficulties initially with the incredibly strict SOPs.

More than happy....Eventually.

[captplaystation]

I have heard (from someone in the know) that every PC/Line-Check is conducted like a chop ride.

The culture of local FO's going behind the expat Capt's backs to report any & everything they can make up , allied to the total isolation on nightstops , probably doesn't give Expats that warm fuzzy feeling they "may" have in a European company.

Certainly, any expansion doesn't equate with the constant recruiting, so, go figure :hmm:

If Vacation is added to the normal OFF's it is more or less 16 On/14 Off, from what I have heard, that is the one & only +ve aspect of the whole deal.

[fatbus]

9 days off + 2 vacation + up to 3 days of travel to/from

[Hussar 54]

The friend's son is on the A330 fleet.

He usually ( not always ) ends and starts his block in TLV, LED or IST which helps considerably.

No idea if there is some bidding involved to get that, but it seems KA are quite ' flexible ' in helping ex-Pats to get a roster which (1) cuts down on commuting time and (2) cram his days 'on' with overnight stops to minimise days alone in Seoul

As I mentioned, he's now quite settled but as CaptPlaystation says, hearing second hand it seems as though it isn't the easiest / friendliest place to spend your career, although he IS making buckets full of money without having to work in China.